Academics
Bringing Politics to Life
From a visit by a world leader and the traditional forced resignation of the prime minister to raucous debate and the actual passing of a bill, Shawnigan House of Commons – better known as SHOC – had a little bit of everything.
A key part of the Grade 10 social studies curriculum at Shawnigan, SHOC sees students replicate the workings of the Canadian House of Commons, each one acting as a Member of Parliament from one of the four parties with official status in the current federal government: Liberal, Conservative, Bloc Québécois and New Democratic. The exercise gives students a first-hand experience of the workings of the House and adheres, for the most part, to actual parliamentary protocol.
On Wednesday morning, Grade 10 students gathered in the staff room, where they debated the merits of a proposed military spending bill that addressed the percentage of Canada’s gross national product that is spent on defence, defending the Arctic, making uniforms more gender-inclusive, increasing women’s participation in the Canadian Armed Forces, support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, the acquisition of military drones, and increased participation in UN peacekeeping operations.
Unrelated to the discussion of the bill, the MPs were surprised in the middle of their morning session with a visit from US president-elect Donald Trump (played by Grade 12 student Gabriel B.)
Much of the early debating was carried by the party leaders – Prime Minister Alan A. (Liberal), Charlie K. (NDP), Victoria B. (Conservative), and Valentina H. (BQ) – who all did excellent work. Participation from the other MPs increased exponentially after they returned from caucus and standing committee meetings where they broke down the clauses in the bill.
Even though the bill ultimately passed with all parties in favour, the end of the parliamentary session still spelled the downfall of the prime minster in a vote of no confidence that has become a traditional part of SHOC. Alan graciously accepted the vote, going so far as to encourage his classmates to topple his government. At this point the proceedings veered far away from the way things are actually done in Canadian government, and the MPs elected a new prime minister from within their own ranks: Ellis T., who prevailed in a close three-way race.
The job of keeping the MPs in line fell to Speaker Aven T., who ran a tight ship, building on her own experience as prime minister a year ago.
For many of the students, preparation for their duties on Wednesday included corresponding directly with real-life MPs. Nearly all of the BQ MPs that Shawnigan students reached out to responded, and Prime Minster Alan had a phone call from Calgary Centre MP Greg McLean.
“I was quite shocked when I got an email back almost the same day asking if I could call about the topic,” Alan said. “However, it was infinitely more valuable than an email. I really got a good idea of the Conservative position, and it also drove home that these larger-than-life figures on TV are just people trying to do their best. Overall, it was amazing prep, and also an opportunity to meet an amazing guy.”
The entire SHOC experience was an excellent one, Alan said.
“I think the most amazing thing about SHOC is that it really brings the Grade 10s together,” he said. “No matter how much you like or dislike socials, we are all in the same room discussing the same topic. Also, it gives great opportunity for leadership, whether you're a party leader, or just decided to speak once in committee, you can always get something out of it. It is a great example of the core values of Shawnigan, leadership and camaraderie.”
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Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
