Tom is youngest Kent School Governor

1.19.49pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 11th Apr 2005

Tom says, "Other young people should consider becoming a school governor."

Local Liberal Democrat, Tom Symondson, is the youngest school governor in Kent. Tom became a school governor early in 2005 at Mascalls, where he had been a pupil between 1994 and 2001.

Tom said, "The stereotype of a governor wasn't very positive when I was at school and I never realised that someone as young as me could become one.

Tom gained his degree in 2004 and not long afterwards put his name forward as a co-opted governor. He said, "As someone who has not been out of full-time education for very long, I can see things from the point of view of the pupils as well as the school. I can build on this and aim to give students more opportunity to become involved with the running of the school. I also would like to get them involved in the Youth Council and other local democracy projects, which might go towards helping them to get interested in politics at a young age!"