Going to university is an achievable dream for many people nowadays. But that doesn't mean the class ceiling has been smashed.

An important barrier is that public speaking – a quintessential skill for politics and business – is not generally taught in state schools.

We need people from all backgrounds to enter these professions if we want everyone to feel truly represented in Parliament and in the boardroom. And to achieve this, we need to equip all children with the necessary skills.

Since October 2023, I've been heading into secondary schools across Bristol North West to share what I’ve learned from working in politics by delivering free public speaking classes for students in Years 9-11.

In these one-hour sessions, students learn how to craft an argument and deliver it to an audience with confidence. If you would like me to run a public speaking session with your class, please email me at darren.jones.mp@parliament.uk. The available slots for these sessions are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

I also encourage schools to enter the English-Speaking Union’s ESU-Churchill Public Speaking Competition – the largest. public speaking competition for schools in England and Wales. In March 2024, Bristol Free School entered the competition for the first time thanks to this campaign and made it to the South West Regional Finals!