Caythorpe pupils enjoy ‘Question Time’ with Lincoln MP Karl McCartney

A primary school pupil was ‘surprised and excited’ when an MP visited his school to talk to his class.

Finn Bennett, aged 11, wrote to Lincoln MP Karl McCartney after taking an interest in politics. The Year 6 pupil at Caythorpe Primary Schoolhad read an article about boys’ performances in school and he decided to find out more.

Finn wrote to Mr McCartney and to his delight received a reply direct from The House of Commons. Finn said: “I felt surprised and excited, I was so happy to get a response. The first thing I did was take a photo of the envelope and then carefully opened it!”

Mr McCartney spoke to Year 5 and Year 6 children about a debate he started in Parliament about boys’ performance in school.

Pupils asked him everything from “What was your favourite subject when you were at school?” to “Do you think Theresa May is doing a good job as Prime Minister?” Mr McCartney said afterwards: “What a lovely varied selection of questions that went very well indeed.”

The MP talked about his own education and the importance of taking education seriously in order to get the career you want. He discussed with the children about how statistics show boys don’t do as well as girls in school and so he began a debate in the House of Commons in September last year. Mr McCartney said: “With a debate in the commons you can normally involve five or six other MPs but this particular topic gained the involvement of 23 MPs from different political parties.”

Finn’s Year 6 Class teacher Mr O’Mahoney has been delivering lessons to his pupils about the structure of different tiers of Government, elections and the funding of services.

Following the ‘Question Time’ with Mr McCartney, Finn was then able to spend some time with the MP, showing him around his school.