THE importance of the referendum to decide whether or not Britain should remain in the European Union will soon be made clear to Keighley school pupils.

Holy Family Catholic School student Ciaran Marshall has had the idea of holding a mock EU referendum for his own school to generate interest in the issue.

Ciaran, a 15-year-old year 11 student, says he has had a keen interest in politics since May of last year.

"The referendum in school is designed to raise political awareness," he explained.

"I've always been into current affairs and what is going on in the world. My interest in politics grew out of that.

"I don't think young people are engaged in politics that much. But they should be because politics affects everything, including how much funding our school gets, jobs, wages and much more."

The mock referendum at Holy Family will be held on April 18, with all pupils having the chance to vote on whether they think Britain should stay in the EU or leave.

As part of the build-up to the poll, Ciaran and head teacher Martin Hings will lead a series of PowerPoint presentations at assemblies to highlight both sides of the argument to students.

Ciaran added: "The presentations mean that when the students vote they'll have the knowledge they need to make an informed decision."