Welcome to the first teachers e-Newsletter. We aim to produce a tailor-made newsletter for our teacher members once every six weeks or so. We’ll bring you the latest news on teachers’ resources, school competitions, events, and special offers that will be of benefit to you and your students. It’s all relevant!

We are holding two events as part of the annual Economic and Social Research Council Festival of Social Science.

For teachers…

The Future of the Constitution
Tuesday 6 November 2012, 5.00pm – 7.30pm, Macmillan Room, Portcullis House, Westminster, London SW1

Programme

5.00 - 5.05   Welcome and introduction

5.05 - 5.25   The Future of the Constitution - Prof. Robert Hazell, Constitution Unit, UCL

5.25 - 5.45   The House of Lords - Dr Meg Russell, Constitution Unit, UCL

5.45 - 6.05   Electoral Reform - Dr Alan Renwick, University of Reading

6.05 - 6.25   Devolution - Dr Jonathan Bradbury, University of Swansea

6.25 - 6.45   Brief talk by the Parliamentary Education Outreach Team about their work

6.45 - 7.30   Drinks and nibbles

The event is aimed at those teaching A Levels and Highers, and is free of charge.

To register for this event, please email Louise Bates.

For students…

Who should be allowed to vote?
Wednesday 7 November 2012, 1.30pm – 3.30pm, Birmingham City University, City North Campus, Perry Barr, Birmingham B42 2SU

The event is aimed at students in years 12 and 13 studying Politics, Sociology or Citizenship, and will take the form of a debate and discussion on the issue of political participation with a primary focus upon who should be allowed to vote. Issues will include whether the voting age should be lowered to 16 and whether prisoners should have the right to vote.

Keynote speakers will include Professor David Wilson (University of De Montfort), Professor Jonathan Tonge (University of Liverpool) and Dr Andy Mycock (University of Huddersfield).

This event is free of charge and a light buffet lunch will be provided for all participants.

To secure your place, please confirm how many places you would like to the Senior Research Administrator, Charlotte Wasilewski, by 21 September 2012 at the very latest. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Student Short Video Competition

Following the success of last year’s inaugural competition, this year we are inviting groups of A level and Higher students to submit short videos on “What is the Media doing to our Politics?”. Shortlisted groups will be invited to the House of Parliament to discuss the ideas raised in their video with a panel of politicians, including the Speaker John Bercow journalists and academics. The winning group will receive their award at the PSA’s annual Awards Dinner in London on 4 December 2012, broadcast on BBC Parliament, with accommodation provided for them and their teacher in a central London hotel.

The closing date for submissions is Monday 1 October. More information can be found in our flyer and details of how to upload the videos are here.

Secondary School Student Poster Competition

This is a new competition for all students in years 9 to 11 or S2 to S4 in Scotland. Individuals or small groups of students are invited to submit A3 posters illustrating the issue of “Why Society Needs Politics”. The winner(s) will win a trip to London and a tour of the Houses of Parliament.

The closing date for submissions is Monday 1 October, and more information can be found in our flyer. 

We would like to draw your attention to a new area of our website, specifically for politics teachers. At the moment this area is in its embryonic state, and currently hosts the presentations from the four schools workshops we held around the country, on applying to study politics at a British university. To access this part of the website, please log in, and click on ‘Members’ Facilities’ on the left hand menu. The Teachers Resource Centre is at the bottom of the expanded list.

Your thoughts on how we should develop this area would be very welcome. Please email these to Louise Bates. 

The UN Association UK and the British International Studies Association are offering a one-day master class for any student considering studies in politics, economics and international relations in central London on Saturday 6 October 2012.

Packed with lectures, activities and networking opportunities, students will spend the day exploring UN and other international careers and what they need to study to get a head-start. They will also get the kind of hands-on experience that will give them the edge on UCAS applications and interviews.

Students will have the opportunity to:

• Hear world-class lecturers from the country's top universities
• Quiz the experts in panel discussions and over lunchtime networking
• Speak to graduates with established international careers
• Participate in group activities that will make your university applications really stand out
• Report on the day with a chance of being published on UNA-UK's and BISA's websites
• Receive a certificate of completion for record of achievement
• Discover more about international relations - from development and diplomacy security and social issues
• Network with staff and interns from the UN Association UK
• Connect with young people from across the UK
• Take away a copy of New World magazine, the UK's most authoritative comment and analysis on the UN and our top ten UN careers tips from UN professionals

The cost of the whole day, including lunch and refreshments, is just £20 (£15 for Generation United Nations members) and is open to any student aged 14 to 18 years old.  Places are very limited and we expect tickets to sell quickly. To sign up, please visit the website.

Starting this term, teacher members are invited to take their class, or year group, to visit Europe House - the UK home of the European Parliament and European Commission.

Whether you're introducing a module on Europe, finishing off a topic or just want to give your pupils a different learning experience, the European Parliament UK office can help you deliver everything they need to know. They keep MEPs informed of upcoming visits and can invite them to engage with your pupils.
 
The politically neutral education experts at Europe House offer tailor-made visits to support your teaching in the following subjects:

Citizenship
Politics A-level
Modern Foreign Languages
Geography
History
International Primary Curriculum

More information is available on the website. To book a visit phone: 020 7227 4300 or send an email.

A speech made by Caroline Lucas MP, leader of the Green Party, at our joint annual lecture with the Hansard Society last month. The lecture was entitled ‘Austerity and the Environment’ and you can listen to it here; or read the transcript.

Academics from across the politics discipline are available to visit your school free of charge to give lectures to your students on any subject of your choice related to the A level or Higher curriculum.  The PSA will pay all travel costs, even where these exceed the costs of teacher membership. Please contact Louise Bates on 020 7330 9298 for more information.