Municipality promotes political literacy in Leiria schools

The first session of the Taking Politics to School project started this Friday, at Escola Secundária Domingos Sequeira, aimed at students in the 12th year of schooling at schools in the municipality of Leiria.

This initiative, which arose from a meeting between the president of the municipality, Gonçalo Lopes, and representatives of the Secondary Education Student Associations, is a project by and for young people, focused on the functioning of our political system, to simplify and open up politics to young people , contributing to active and conscious participation in life in society.

Starting from the premise “what if a group of students sat down, in an informal conversation, with young political representatives, to expose and question solutions to the challenges of their generation?”, this project has as partners the Secondary Education Student Associations and the directions of educational establishments/school groups.

All scheduled meetings and debates take place in the third school period. Held between 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm, they feature the participation of different party youth, being moderated by the president of the Student Association or whoever represents him/her, creating and celebrating an open space for dialogue and reflection on the main challenges of the municipality and the country.

Political literacy is fundamental, and it is crucially important to mobilize young people, alerting them to the importance of their vote and their participation in society, so that, in an informal but effective way, they understand how the political system works in Portugal, to that, in the future, they will be more informed and aware citizens.

Fostering values ​​such as empathy, honesty, self-confidence, respect for others, responsibility, proactivity, critical thinking, sensitivity and autonomy are also fundamental factors in the “Taking Politics to School” meetings.

The sessions take place at the Secondary Schools Domingos Sequeira, Francisco Rodrigues Lobo and Afonso Lopes Vieira and, at the Basic and Secondary Schools, Henrique Sommer, in Maceira and Rainha Santa Isabel, in Carreira, and include the participation of party youth, or young people militants of parties with seats in the Municipal Assembly.