 | | George, Zoe, Holly, Gemma, Jessica |
The islands teenagers are being given the opportunity to have their say as part of a the BBC News School Report series. As part of the series we’ve asked five 12 and 13 year olds from Le Rocquier School what they think of life in the island, their likes, their dislikes, and what they would change if they were the Chief Minister. The students spent the day with Naomi Kennedy from BBC News School Report who gave them a journalism masterclass. They then had the chance to put their new found skills to the test. Their very nervous Headmaster, Richard Rolfe was rolled out to be interviewed by the students.
 | | Laura filming Gemma, Jessica & George |
First the children discussed what was important to them. They each had a different issue which they would like to change in the world, from global warming to war to people taking part in more active sport to avoid obesity. George, 13, says what the most annoying thing about living in Jersey is the smoking ban in public places which hadn’t achieved enough in his eyes. He said: “We’ve got a smoking ban and people don’t take it seriously enough so there are people smoking in doorways when they’re still in public places when they’re not actually standing outside. “It makes me feel angry because they’re ruining it for other people when they’re in public places. I’d like to see a total ban but I’m not sure what the reaction would be about it”. These students were also concerned about perception, and what adults really thought about them. Gemma, 13, told us…
 | | George and Jessica with their notebooks |
“I think that people look at older teenagers and think that they are just into littering and hanging round a bit, causing trouble, spraying graffiti and vandalising, I worry that people will look at me that way in years to come. “To sort out littering I think we should all have recycling bins at our homes, like my Auntie has in Plymouth, so that we are encouraged not to litter. Although we have can bins and paper bins if we got a lot more boxes for recycling I think more people would”. The young people said they were nervous when it came to interviewing each other for what is known in the trade as a ‘vox pop’, and were excited about interviewing their headteacher on the topics that mattered to them in year eight. Again perception came up, but also the fact that chewing gum had been banned in the new school at St Clement, but was this really necessary. Mr Rolfe replied: “It looked awful at the old school and we agreed as a school community that we wouldn’t let it happen in the new school ….. just look around the school today, there’s not one piece of chewing gum on the carpet or under the tables, so yes it has worked.
 | | Holly and Gemma with their notebooks |
“Perhaps Jersey needs to decide, as they’ve banned cigarette smoking in public places maybe they need to ban selling chewing gum within the island”. BBC News School Report is a project aimed at engaging twelve and thirteen year olds with news, through practical journalism in the classroom. On Thursday 22 March more than a hundred and twenty schools across the British Isles will “make news”. A producer on the project, Naomi Kennedy, said about Le Rocquier’s involvement, “ Its not often that you can go into a school and, with only an hour of the students’ time, help them become journalists.
 | | Deputy Head Phil Slater |
“I was really impressed with their social awareness, and their keenness to ask searching questions of their headteacher”. Deputy Head Phil Slater said “They have to think on their feet and they can’t be spoon-fed. As a journalist you have to react to situations quickly and it was really nice to see how quickly they reacted.” Thank you to the students at Le Rocquier: George, Zoe, Holly, Gemma and Jessica. | 
