Elected councillors are going back to school for a day in a bid to enable pupils to learn about democracy.

Eight schools in Ashford are taking part in the scheme, aiming to gauge the opinions of young people in their own environment and for pupils to discover more about local government and how they can get involved in improving their communities.

A survey identified that half of young people believed that their council had no direct control or relevance to their lives and only two per cent thought that the council had any powers.

Cllr Gerry Clarkson, who will visit The North School on Monday, said: “I’m really looking forward to going back to school. For some young people this could be the first time they have any engagement with the political process.

“Hopefully it will provide a platform for them to voice their opinions on local and national issues in a constructive way and improve their understanding of local government.”

This week members of Ashford Youth Forum visited Central Hall, Westminster with officers and councillors in the Ministry of Justice Your Voice Counts youth conference.