School to host citizenship event for foreign nationals

SOME of the East Riding's newest citizens will be given a warm welcome when they take part in a formal reception at a county secondary school.

At least 13 people from a range of backgrounds will attend a citizenship ceremony at Goole High School on Thursday next week.

The ceremonies, introduced in 2004, are the final step in the process of foreign nationals being accepted as British citizens.

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Successful applicants must be resident in the UK, achieve a certain level of use of the English language, and pass a "Life in UK" test.

During the ceremony they are required to make an oath or affirmation of allegiance to Her Majesty The Queen, and pledge loyalty to the United Kingdom.

The East Riding is the first local authority in Yorkshire to host the ceremonies in schools.

The ceremony would normally take 15 minutes but is expected to last about 45 minutes as pupils make their own contributions. Students will be giving poetry readings and a dance exhibition, while children from Airmyn Primary School will sing.

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The ceremony will be filmed for use as a resource for citizenship modules in schools across the East Riding.

Proceedings will be overseen by the East Riding's superintendent registrar, Patricia Mann.

She said: "We thought it would be a really nice idea to stage the ceremony at Goole High School so that pupils can see for themselves what it's all about and gain a better understanding of what it means to become a British citizen.

"We're really pleased to have been allocated a share of the Connecting Communities funding that was recently awarded to East Riding of Yorkshire Council by the Government.

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"We're using this funding to produce a DVD about the day that can be used by other senior schools as an educational tool."

Helen Maddison, a teacher at the school, added: "The ceremony is a rite of passage that formally welcomes those who wish to join us into full membership of the British family.

"To be a British citizen means that you show tolerance and respect for others, and these are ideals that we instill into all our students.

"Hosting this ceremony is an ideal chance for pupils to witness citizenship in action."