Integrated College Dungannon pupils make their voices heard at Stormont Debates

Marcas, Raimondas, Riquelme, Vyte, Alex, Amy, Caitlin and Grace are pictured on the stairs of Parliament Buildings during their visit to Stormont. | Supplied

placeholder image — Marcas, Raimondas, Riquelme, Vyte, Alex, Amy, Caitlin and Grace are pictured on the stairs of Parliament Buildings during their visit to Stormont. | Supplied

Integrated College Dungannon pupils make their voices heard in the Stormont Debates event

PUPILS from Integrated College Dungannon (ICD) attended Parliament Buildings, Stormont, to take part in the annual Stormont Debates organised by the educational charity Parallel Histories.

Gathering in the historic Long Gallery, the ICD students joined peers from schools across Northern Ireland for a series of interactive, dual-narrative workshops designed to build confidence, cultural awareness, and mutual respect.

By tackling alternative interpretations of sensitive historical and contemporary topics, the young debaters sharpened their critical thinking skills while gaining valuable insights into differing perspectives – the skills honed will be applied to their future learning and in their upcoming examinations.

Integrated College Dungannon Year 13 pupil, Marcas, is pictured with BBC News education and arts correspondent, Robbie Meredith. | Supplied

The event also caught the attention of the media, with BBC correspondent Robbie Meredith interviewing a selection of participants. Among them was ICD Year 13 student Marcas, who shared his views on current political issues and the ongoing peace process.

Later in the day, pupils put their questioning skills to the test during a live Q&A session with former Labour MP Bill Rammell and local MLA Matthew O’Toole, who attended to support the initiative.

To top off a memorable experience, the students from ICD a tour of the Assembly Chamber, discovering the fascinating history of the building and even trying out the seats of elected representatives.