A TAVISTOCK College teacher was recently one of just 75 teachers chosen nation-wide to spend a week in the Palace of Westminster, observing the workings of Parliament.

Helen Harris, who teaches history and law, was thoroughly enthused by the opportunity and is bursting to bring back her experiences for the benefit of her students.

Helen said: 'This was an incredibly intense and in-depth opportunity to see how Parliament operates, and the importance, not just of the democratic process itself, but of teaching young people about its immense value and engaging them in it.

'I am very grateful to college principal Helen Salmon for allowing me the opportunity, but it certainly wasn't a holiday!

'We mirrored the working patterns of MPs and their staff while we were there, always on the go, constantly rotating through different meetings and with barely enough spare time for a 20 minute lunch break.

'The idea that MPs have a life of leisure there is frankly ridiculous. And this is all before the various committees get going — this Parliament is too young as yet for them to have started.'

Helen underwent a selection process to be chosen — a process that was initiated by a prompt from Tavistock's MP Geoffrey Cox.

The whole week was organised by the Teachers' Institute, a non-partisan, cross-party group operated by Parliament itself, intended to educate and engage people about democracy, particularly the young.

'Perhaps the biggest single lesson that I bring away is the essential nature of democracy, the importance of British values — and the absolutely vital need to educate people about these things,' said Helen.

There are other skills that she sees a need to develop in schools, such as the art of 'precis': 'Everybody knows of Hansard — which records in absolute detail all the goings-on of Parliament — but this takes a team of 60 political journalists, to listen and accurately record in writing what was said — and the ability to listen and record is a key skill that any student can put to good use, so I will be developing that with my pupils'.

The visiting teachers met a range of Parliamentary figures including the Speakers of the Commons and Lords, and representatives from the Parliaments of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Canada.

Helen said: 'The whole week was just so incredibly enthusing and informative.

'I had several sessions in the public gallery and listened to some key speeches about Greece and Tunisia for example.

'It all reinforced how lucky we are in Britain, and how important it is to keep it that way.

'David Cameron told us of the importance of Prime Ministers Questions, in which all levels of Government can be — and are — called to account. But I was also impressed by the general air of consensual politics which suffuses all of Parliament, rather than the confrontation which we see on television.'

Helen also made another point, about Tavistock and its college: 'It was very evident from talking to the other teachers present that we have at Tavistock College a much more advanced learning package centred on politics and all it entails — from political speed dating to mock elections, we really are setting the standard.

'Indeed, I have been asked to become a 'Parliamentary Ambassador', to further develop what we already do.

'The college and its students should be very proud!'