Charles Clarke in the Hot Seat

One of the highlights of the BETT Show this year was the Rt. Hon. Charles Clarke's live face to face Hot Seat interview with kids from SuperClubsPLUS and GoldStarCafe. Charles met with two children, Ryan and Girjeet, before of audience of influential people in the education sector and he answered their quick-fire questions of a wide range of issues.

Girjeet and Ryan give Charles a grilling.

But that wasn't all - he also had a simultaneous video-conference link with a class of primary children in Folkestone and on top of that a Hot Seat Forum with thousands of children logging in from their schools all over the UK in SuperClubsPLUS and GoldStarCafe.

Jacob and Katijah quiz Charles in the SuperClubsPLUS Hot Seat Forum

The audience were amazed at the children's confidence and delighted by their curiosity and direct questioning. Charles did his very best to keep up with the questions and gave the children a valuable insight to the life of an MP and his own beliefs. Here's just a snippet from the online Hot Seat:

Katijah: "What would you do about global warming?"
Charles: "I would focus on energy (renewable) and transport (everyday journeys). On Climate issues - we can change the rules. We can charge for carbon usage or invest in helping people to insulate their homes. There are many decisions to weigh up, to help people take responsibility by giving them incentives. One big thing we can do is to have better public transport so people will choose not to use cars this will really help reduce carbon emissions."

Jacob: "Whats your best idea?"
Charles: "Great question! The Global Gateway is probably.It 's a website for schools around the world to find other schools with similar interests. Once they're connected the schools collaborate internationally.

Daniel: "What would you like to be if you weren't an MP?"
Charles: "Education is what I am most passionate about. I believe education can change everyone's lives in a big way. If I was not an MP I would be teaching. My four Grandparents were teachers and I believe teaching is a very important role, as it's important to help children aspire to be the best they can be."