Students from North London School Engage in Round Table Discussions with Football Legend – John Barnes

Students from Oasis Academy Enfield who are known as the Oasis’s People’s Parliament attended a young people and racism event in central London where they were privileged enough to engage in round table discussions with some of the leading voices in the country regarding topics which are prevalent in our day and age.

The event which was considered very productive and thought provoking allowed students from Oasis Academy Enfield to hear from the legendary John Barnes, ex Liverpool and England International and other great guest speakers such as Florence Eshalom MP for Vauxhall.

The roundtable discussion focussed on how best to tackle racism using bottom-up approach. Working directly with those in inner cities to combat prejudice within the home and local communities. This was an open and honest conversation about the impact of stop and search from the policing and how this trauma leads to a downward spiral for our young people. John Barnes spoke on the issues of racism with football and how those with a platform equally should be speaking out on racism and working with the local communities to tackle prejudice and actively become an anti-racist society.

The panel consisted of students in sixth form, and they all spoke highly of the event. One sixth former said, “it felt surreal siting around such influential and important people and hearing some their experiences made me feel motivated to bring about some change in our society. Questions about how representation for them is important to be able to look up to role models from their backgrounds were asked by the students and they challenged the panel asking how the Government is working on getting young people’s voices heard as there is believed to an unconscious bias about teenagers in society. 

“They got to network with other students from different sixth forms. The conservations were thought provoking and our students had many discussions on the train journey home”, Mr Robinson said.

Principal, Mr Williams was proud and excited to hear about the success of the event. Being a football fan himself, he wished he was on the roundtable as well. He said, “knowing that the suggestions and ideas of our students are being considered and potentially can change our society is why we do what we do. I am a very proud Principal and well done to all the students who partook in this great initiative.