Pupils protest against conflict (From Stroud News and Journal)

Pupils protest against conflict

THEY might still be too young to vote but youngsters in the Five Valleys found a way to make their voices heard against the war in Iraq this week.

Hundreds of Archway School pupils took to the fields in protest the day before war broke out.

A strongly anti-war group of year 11 students led a demonstration on Wednesday, March 19 at 11am.

Pupils of all ages united in the peaceful protest, forming a huge circle on the school grounds.

The idea spread by word of mouth and the powerful-looking protest went on into lunchtime.

Year 11 student Lucy Barnes said: "The atmosphere was amazing and the circle was great. "Power to the people."

Cjara Rasch added: "I was really happy that so many people felt strongly about no war."

Students held hands and chanted anti-war slogans.

They said protests would continue until Tony Blair realises how important young people's views are.

Archway head Viv Warren said the school supported its pupils making their views known in a reasonable and organised fashion.

She said: "The children were extremely well behaved and very cooperative.

"Those of them who have these feelings about events in Iraq made their views clear."

But, she warned, there are others who do not feel the same and who have friends and relations in the forces.

She said: "It is important that everyone's feelings are respected and that students understand appropriate ways of representing opinion in a democratic society."

Although it did take some lesson time while students made their way back to classes, she said, the protest was mainly conducted in break time and a walk-out from lessons would not have been appropriate.

Pupils have had the opportunity to discuss issues in classes with teachers to give impartial guidance.

Ms Warren said they were understandably alarmed by world events and needed somewhere to talk about them.

She said: "Our role as teachers is to help children understand the world in which they are growing up.

"But we are not here to have a political view."

Ms Warren said she did not expect further protests at the school now students had made their views known.

* For details of protests at other Five Valleys schools, see this week's SNJ.