In year 10, students all over the country apply for the duke of Edinburgh’s award, hoping for the opportunity to gain a valued qualification, learn new skills, and go on an exhibition with their friends.
However, due to its popularity, places are at a premium at Tiffin school, where names are picked out of a hat, leaving many students disappointed. But a group of pupils unlucky to not take part through the school applied through Kingston council and are preparing at Albany park youth centre in Canbury Park.
They are learning to canoe in preparation for their expedition- a two day journey down the river on canoe, and all the students are enjoying learning a new skill that most have never experienced before. Canoeing in the winter, through the rain and snow, can become laborious every week, but everyone involved is in agreement that it will be worth it during the summer expedition, when the weather will hopefully have improved greatly! Of course, it is not all about the expedition- students have to volunteer, and learn a new skill, consistently uploading evidence to the online ‘e d of e’ portal. Everyone taking part is grateful for the opportunity to take part through the council when the lack of places at school made it seem like maybe they wouldn’t be able to get the award.
Parent Yasmin agrees that the duke of Edinburgh’s award is very beneficial for young people. She said “it’s a great scheme because it teaches young people new skills, makes them volunteer to help the local community, and introduces them to experiences they wouldn’t otherwise have’. Teachers echo this sentiment, as pupils were given an assembly on the subject at school. Although some may say the Award is outdated- its format has hardly changed since its inception in 1956, (although DJing and video editing were probably not options for the skill) It is clear from the enjoyment and opportunities, and life skills it teaches young people that it is a great scheme which hopefully will continue long into the future.
