Schools

11 Mar 09

Baroness Uddin talked to the pupils about her experience of growing up in London.

Hackney school students have been hearing from a baroness about her experiences of growing up in the East End of London.

Baroness Uddin of Bethnal Green visited the Skinners’ Company’s School for Girls as part of Oxford University’s Trading Places programme.

She spoke to around twenty Year 9 students about their aspirations for the future and her own experiences as a Bangladeshi Muslim woman who grew up in London.

The Trading Places programme is aimed at raising the aspirations of Year 9 students who may have the academic potential to consider applying to Oxford in the future but might not otherwise consider doing so. It also helps to inform them of the wide career pathways available to them, outside of traditional vocations such as law and medicine. Baroness Uddin, the first Muslim woman in the House of Lords, talked of her own experiences of university and encouraged the students to consider their options for higher education.

Baroness Uddin said: ‘This was an inspiring day full of confident young people, knowing that they will succeed in their chosen profession. I’m thankful to the headmistress of the school, Mrs Wilkins, and her team for all the effort to educate the girls in their care.’

The students were asked to complete a task in small groups. They had to think of an issue in society they would like to change and how they would go about changing it, including who they would contact – for example MPs, judges, charities, local government – and present their ideas to the rest of the class. Issues chosen included teenage pregnancy, domestic violence and women in sport. The team with the best presentation will win the chance to visit the Baroness at work in the House of Lords and go on a tour of Parliament.

Meena Naidoo, the Gifted & Talented and AimHigher Coordinator at the school, said: ‘The pupils thoroughly enjoyed the workshop and were very impressed with Baroness Uddin’s passion for her job and her determination to succeed. It’s important the girls believe that they can become anything they want to be, provided they have the determination and are prepared to work for it. The Baroness’ key messages of education, belief in oneself and hard work really inspired them.

‘We were very pleased that Baroness Uddin made time in her busy schedule to visit our school and would like to thank Oxford University for organising the visit.’