Market Drayton Schools Joint Council Meeting

 

Students from  Grove school joined representatives from Market Drayton Junior School, Longlands, Hodnet, Stoke-on-Tern, Cheswardine and  Moreton Say primary schools and Buntingsdale Infants school to discuss environmental issues. Steve Glover from Market Drayton Town Council and Roger Smith from the County Council as well as two representatives from Shropshire County Council were in attendance together with Winston Brown from the Advertiser.

 

 

 

Grove College students Ashleigh Wilson and Emily Haylock led the meeting ably assisted by Geert Brakel, Ryan O’Loughlin, Alicia Wylie and Josh Rudd.

 

 

 

After introductions the first task of the afternoon was to share the views of young people in each of the schools. Students at each school had gathered the views of their peers through a standard questionnaire about how environmentally friendly they were at home and at school and what facilities there were at home and school. Suggestions were also made through the questionnaire about how people could be more environmentally friendly and what facilities should be available. The young representatives discussed their findings in groups and reported back to the whole council.

 

 

It was noted that the young people were conscious of the need to save energy and at Buntingsdale Infants School, there were “spies” to check that lights and computer monitors have been turned off. Young people were using paper on both sides before recycling it in many schools and at home many were recycling paper and some had compost bins.

 

 

But there is still a need to do more!

 

 

Students felt that there should be greater and easier access to recycling banks for bottles, paper, clothes, etc in the town and in the villages. In schools there should be more recycling and sensors on the lights.

 

 

 

The final session of the meeting was devoted to the young people developing action plans for how to achieve a more environmentally friendly community. There were some fantastic ideas, such as having an environmental awareness day in the town, and holding a competition to promote a poster to encourage recycling.

 

 

Students are to approach caretakers and school governors about light sensors and recycling bins.  One group suggested that recycling bins should be made out of recycled material and another suggested that all households should be sent a free washing line in the post to encourage people not to use a tumble dryer.