YEAR nine pupils at St Michael's School, in Billingham, have held their own version of a general election.

The event was part of the Government's new citizenship syllabus, which is compulsory teaching in schools from September.

Part of the syllabus is political literacy and the school's citizenship co-ordinator, Sara Davies, joined forces with head of year nine, Moira Hunt, to enable the pupils to take part in an election campaign in assembly.

They created a polling station in the next assembly then staged the announcement of the result, creating a town hall complete with returning officer.

Mrs Hunt said: "When the real general election took place last year, a similar exercise proved a great success and, in view of the new citizenship requirements, staff thought it worthwhile to write it into the personal, social and health education syllabus."

Mrs Davies said: "There were plenty of volunteers from pupils who wanted to act as candidates, agents, returning officer, members of the public or Press photographers.

"Pupils used last year's manifesto on which to base speeches and pupils who participated in 2001 ran the polling station.

"It was very much a piece of active learning for pupils who are able to vote in real elections in four years' time, and it was a lot of fun."