parliament house school tours

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Parliament House

The place, the people, the process – see parliament in action when you visit Australian Parliament House.

The school visit program at Parliament House examines the work of the parliament and inspires Primary and Secondary Students to learn how the Australian system of government works.

A visit can include 3 components:

•A comprehensive guided tour delivered by the Visitor Engagement team at Parliament House, allows Students to experience the House of Representatives and Senate chambers.

•An immersive roleplay program with the Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) exploring the function, purpose, and value of Australia’s democratic system of government.

•A hospitality break, including a delicious refreshment and a chance to meet parliamentarians.

Expert Guides explore the stunning architectural elements of the building during an engaging tour, where Students are shown how Parliament House is the physical representation of democracy and the workings of parliament.

During sitting weeks Students may have an opportunity to watch parliament in action!

Expert Parliamentary Educators bring the work of the parliament to life with a PEO role play, during which Students investigate:

•how laws are made in parliament

•the responsibilities of their representatives

•how government is kept accountable

•how they can become active citizens.

A visit to Parliament House contributes towards a school’s PACER eligibility.

Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) 

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Connect with parliamentary experts with free digital programs, take a virtual tour of Parliament House and explore classroom resources, interactives and more from the PEO.               

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Parliament Education Service

• Citizenship ,  Communication Skills ,  Confidence Building ,  Drama ,  History ,  Leadership ,  PSHE/RSHE ,  Philosophy ,  Problem Solving ,  Team Building ,  Travel & Tourism +7 more

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What will students see and do.

On a visit to the Palace of Westminster in London, school groups can discover the historical and present-day processes of the House of Lords and House of Commons.

As they tour these iconic buildings, students will experience the UK’s seat of power up close, while interactive workshops introduce those of different ages to the workings of the government.

The tour lasts 90 minutes, with the visit extending to over two hours when a workshop is added. As well as catering to students of all ages, activities can be adapted to children with special educational needs.

For visits arranged for Monday to Thursday, your local MP will be invited to meet the group and take part in a question-and-answer session, though it’s not guaranteed that they will be available.

After your visit, students can enjoy their packed lunches in the nearby Victoria Tower Gardens. For history trips, you’re also well positioned to explore other sights in central London.

For those unable to travel to Westminster, it’s possible to arrange a live online workshop instead, delivered by a member of staff from UK Parliament. Alternatively, why not book a live Q&A with a member of the House of Lords?

How does the trip link to the curriculum?

Both the tour and workshops have clearly defined curriculum outcomes for different key stages in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

For Key Stage 1 pupils, these outcomes can be related to citizenship, history, SMSC, health and wellbeing, social studies and PSHE.

At Key Stage 2, the curriculum objectives cover citizenship, SMSC, PDMU, health and wellbeing, social studies and PSHE.

For post-16 students, outcomes are related to citizenship, politics and modern studies.

The workshops delivered on-site are as follows:

– Story of Parliament: This is suitable for pupils aged 7–18 and lasts 90 minutes. It starts with a visit to the education centre, where a 360-degree film tells the story of UK Parliament. Next, pupils undertake a full tour of the building, finishing in Westminster Hall.

– Representation & Voting: There are two levels of this workshop available, the first being suitable for students aged 7–16. In this workshop, pupils are introduced to the process of electing members of Parliament. Participants represent fictional constituencies and stand for imagined political parties. They create manifestos and pupils vote for their chosen candidate. In this exercise, they begin to understand how elections work and how MPs are chosen.

For students between 16–18 years, the workshop introduces voting principles like proportional representation and first past the post. Considering the advantages and disadvantages of each system, they design manifestos and hold a general election.

– Laws & Debating: Suitable for pupils aged 7–18, this interactive workshop introduces the law-making process. Starting with an idea for a bill, students then take it through the houses of Commons and Lords, debating as they go. This activity demonstrates the democratic process and how laws come into place in the UK. Through involvement, students develop debating skills and are motivated to be active members of society.

– Campaigning & Parliament: Aimed at students aged 7–11, this workshop introduces the concepts of local, devolved and national government. Participants will discover the responsibilities of different levels of government and how these are decided. In the campaigning exercises, students find out about different campaign methods and the efficacy of each. Finally, pupils find out how to get involved in democracy.

Subjects covered

Teaching resources provided.

Free teaching resources are available for visitors, or to download from the website.

For pupils aged 5–7, an illustrated book describes a visit to Parliament and what takes place there.

For students between 7–11, the education pack introduces the people who work in the houses of Commons and Lords. Interactive activities also describe laws, elections and how to be involved in Parliament.

The post-16 workbook covers electoral systems, UK constitution, democracy and how to campaign.

Minimum and maximum group size

The minimum group size is 12 visitors, including adults. The maximum size for tours and workshops is 32 students. For larger groups, the visit will be split across different time slots.

For pupils aged 5–7, the required adult-to-child ratio is one adult per seven children. For pupils aged 7–18, the ratio is one adult per 15 children.

Details of risk assessment

The Parliament Education Service team are available to help with risk assessments and paperwork. Upon arrival, all visitors are subject to security checks and are briefed on health and safety and expected behaviour.

Don't miss our downloadable A-Z guide on completing a risk assessment

Facilities on-site

Much of the site is wheelchair accessible, although the tour may need to take a different route. The team are happy to discuss any mobility access needs your group might have.

The gift shop is not available to school groups, although souvenirs can be pre-ordered and given to the lead teacher to distribute.

Opening times

School tours operate Monday to Friday and are subject to business and events in parliament. Sessions typically take place between the hours of 9am and 3pm.

All activities arranged through the Parliament Education Service are free to attend.

Travel arrangements

Although there are some drop-off points at UK Parliament, it’s advisable to arrive by public transport, as parking nearby is scarce.

The nearest overground rail stations are Charing Cross, Victoria and Waterloo, which are all within a 30-minute walk.

The education centre is a short walk from Westminster underground station, which is connected to the Circle, District and Jubilee lines.

There are also a number of public bus services stopping nearby. There are travel subsidies available for school visits from certain areas.

Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London, London SW1A 2TT

Book your school trip to Parliament Education Service

For information on booking your school trip to this venue, click below.

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Revolt in Moscow: How Yeltsin Turned the Tide, Hour by Hour

By Serge Schmemann

• Oct. 11, 1993

As Russia's fate hung in the balance one week ago, President Boris N. Yeltsin's Government seemed almost paralyzed.

While bands of Communist and nationalist gunmen broke through to the Parliament building, the headquarters of President Yeltsin's foes, and battled for the state television center, the large force of special police around the building disintegrated, presidential aides were in disarray, the President dallied at his dacha and soldiers from elite units were out picking potatoes.

When the state television flickered off shortly after 7:30 P.M., exultant opposition leaders at the Parliament building, known as the White House, seemed convinced that the Government was buckling. The Speaker of the Parliament, Ruslan I. Khasbulatov, was talking about the mercy he would show to Mr. Yeltsin's lieutenants. Momentum Shifts at TV Center

Then the tide changed. A small force of Government troops managed to fight off the attack on the Ostankino state television center. Losing their momentum, the anti-Yeltsin crowds retreated to the darkened Parliament building, while Mr. Yeltsin and his generals began preparing for the counterattack. After the first tank shell burst inside the building on the morning of Oct. 4, it was only a question of time.

But even before the shooting died down and the fires in the building were extinguished, the questions were raging. Why was the Government so ill prepared for a confrontation that had been building for two weeks? What happened at the television center? Why the delays in the Kremlin and at the Defense Ministry? The Showdown Begins

Sept. 21 After months of political struggle and deadlock between the President and the Legislature, Mr. Yeltsin issues Decree No. 1400, suspending the Congress of People's Deputies and ordering elections for a new Parliament for Dec. 11-12. The army pledges "strict neutrality."

At midnight, the Parliament deposes Mr. Yeltsin and declares Vice President Aleksandr V. Rutskoi acting president. Their supporters set up barricades around the Parliament building. The Constitutional Court rules Mr. Yeltsin's decree unconstitutional.

Sept. 22 The Congress convenes without a quorum and names its own ministers of interior, defense and security. The Government's Ministers of Interior, Defense and Security pledge support for Mr. Yeltsin. Telephone lines at the Parliament building are cut.

Sept. 23 Mr. Yeltsin sets presidential elections for June 12, 1994. Gunmen attack the headquarters of the armed forces of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the organization of former Soviet republics. A policeman and a bystander are killed. Gunmen also mount an unsuccessful attack on headquarters of military intelligence.

Sept. 24 The Congress votes for simultaneous parliamentary and presidential elections by March 1994, and this idea begins to gain support among centrist and regional leaders. At 10 P.M., electricity and hot water to the Parliament building are cut off.

Sept. 27 Mr. Yeltsin rejects simultaneous elections.

Sept. 28 The Interior Ministry seals off the building with concertina wire, trucks and thousands of troops, ordering defenders to surrender their arms.

Sept. 29 Police officers using nightsticks battle with several hundred protesters trying to breach the cordon. The Government sets a deadline of Oct. 4 for those inside the building to surrender their weapons and leave.

Sept. 30 The Russian Orthodox Church offers to mediate. Riot police officers and protesters clash again.

Oct. 1 An agreement to surrender arms, signed in the early morning by leaders of the Government and the Parliament, is rejected by opposition leaders in the building. The Interior Ministry says there are about 600 fighting men in the Parliament building, with 1,600 assault rifles, more than 2,000 pistols, 18 machine guns, 12 grenade launchers and perhaps a ground-to-air missile. (The existence of such an arsenal is never confirmed.)

Oct. 2 The first serious street violence breaks out. Several hundred demonstrators close off the Garden Ring Road by the Foreign Ministry, building barricades and pelting police with rocks and firebombs. Mr. Rutskoi issues an appeal to people to take to the streets: "Everyone rise up for the struggle against the dictatorship!" The Battle Begins

Oct. 3 at 2 P.M. On a sunny autumn day, several thousand anti-Yeltsin protesters gather in October Square for a demonstration. Speakers denounce the Government and its economic reforms.

2:30 P.M. Acting on calls by Viktor I. Anpilov, head of the militantly Communist Working Moscow movement, demonstrators begin marching on the Parliament building, three miles away. They smash easily through several thin lines of police officers, ripping away their batons and shields.

The officers try to regroup at several points on the route, firing of tear gas and rubber bullets, but the crowd moves on, beating fallen officers, smashing trucks and buses and firing bursts from automatic weapons.

3:35 P.M. The crowd, rapidly swelling, breaks through the cordon at the building, using a commandeered truck as a battering ram. Government forces fall back. There is wild exultation at the Parliament building. Parliamentary deputies and their defenders are convinced that they have seized the initiative and that it is only a matter of time before Mr. Yeltsin is out.

The Kremlin is silent. Mr. Yeltsin is at his dacha. His chief of staff, Sergei A. Filatov, is still negotiating with Parliament leaders at the Danilov Monastery about a surrender of arms. A reporter inside the Kremlin, Sergei Parkhomenko, reports that the offices of the President are almost empty, "as on an ordinary weekend."

4 P.M. Mr. Yeltsin declares a state of emergency in Moscow. All public meetings and demonstrations are banned.

4:20 P.M. The Government's special police forces around the Parliament building begin to crumble and flee before the fury of the demonstrators, many dropping their shields and sticks in panic. Armored personnel carriers withdraw, but some are seized by the crowd. Automatic fire clatters; people are wounded and killed.

(The collapse of the security cordon, which included 5,000 police officers and units of the special Dzerzhinsky Regiment of the Interior Ministry, later becomes one of the mysteries of the day. Interior Minister Viktor F. Yerin says the troops were withdrawn just before the storming because there was no perceived need for them.)

4:35 P.M. Mr. Khasbulatov appears on the balcony of the Parliament building, but his words are lost in the din. Mr. Rutskoi comes out, and, bellowing into a microphone from behind shields held by bodyguards, urges the crowd to form regiments and seize the Mayor's offices and the television center, six miles north. Addressing Government forces ringing the building, he shouts, "You have only seconds to change sides and defect to the people!"

From the building, the crowd lurches toward the Mayor's office, a high-rise across the street where Government troops have been billeted. Automatic fire clatters repeatedly, and lines of police officers and workers are soon seen marching out under rebel guard.

An unidentified officer, quoted in Izvestia, says orders changed constantly in the last days: arm, disarm, send men here, send them there. The officer, who was on duty at the building, recalled: "When that drunk, drugged mob moved at the Mayor's office, suddenly there was an order: 'Don't shoot. Retreat from the object.' I understood that the leadership was simply waiting to see who'll win."

5 P.M. The Defense Ministry orders several elite units to Moscow. But they are shorthanded because 21,000 soldiers have been sent to help with the potato harvest, in part to convince skeptics that the Government was not planning to storm the building.

(Defense Minister Pavel S. Grachev subsequently says that the troops were to reach Moscow between 8 and 9 P.M., and that the timetable was met.)

Bands of cheering rebels, waving red Soviet flags and the czarist flags used by nationalists, are roaring toward the television station in commandeered buses, armored personnel carriers and trucks. Some carry arms. Thousands follow on foot. Interior Ministry units race them to the station and arrive just before the rebels.

5:45 P.M. The first groups of fighters from the Parliament building reach the Ostankino television station.

6 P.M. The rump Congress of People's Deputies convenes, and is told by Mr. Khasbulatov, "We need to take the Kremlin today, too."

6:10 P.M. A television broadcast shows Mr. Yeltsin arriving in the Kremlin by helicopter and walking slowly to his office. (Reports are circulated in subsequent days that he returned earlier, or that he never left.)

6:40 P.M. A reporter for Moscow News talks to Mr. Rutskoi in the Parliament building. "We will defend the Constitution to the last bullet," he says.

7 P.M. Hundreds of rebels and scores of onlookers and reporters are massed at the television complex, along with the most militant leaders from the Parliament building, including Albert M. Makashov, a former general; Mr. Anpilov of Working Moscow; Illya Konstantinov, head of the neo-fascist National Salvation Front, and Viktor P. Barannikov, former Minister of Security. Mr. Konstantinov declares television to be the "key to success."

Mayor Yuri M. Luzhkov of Moscow makes a televised appeal: "In these anxious hours, we turn to you, Muscovites. Take a civic stand against the illegal activity of the provocateurs."

7:20 P.M. At the television station, Mr. Makashov warns defenders of one building at the broadcasting center that they have three minutes to surrender. When they refuse, a grenade is fired at the doors and a trucks rams through. A firefight breaks out, killing or wounding many. (The final toll will be 62 dead, about 400 wounded.)

7:38 P.M. One by one, the four television programs broadcast from the site go off the air. (In subsequent days, a debate will erupt over why the television was not better defended, and who pulled the plug. By most accounts, Vyacheslav Bragin, director of state television, ordered the transmissions to be broken to prevent rebels from making any broadcasts.)

A announcer on the Moscow channel is concluding a report on the day's events, saying: "This has been a heavy day. It's hard to talk, because the conflict between Russians has reached its limits -- " The telecast breaks.

8 P.M. Broadcasts resume from another television center in Moscow. (Television officials later say they had the option of an even more secure center outside Moscow, which was built under Leonid I. Brezhnev to withstand any attack.) Tass reports that its Moscow headquarters are under attack, but its reports are not stopped.

Fighting continues at the Ostankino television site, and the first floor of one building is reported in rebel hands.

At the Parliament building, euphoria continues to reign. Mr. Khasbulatov tells deputies that Ostankino has been taken. But electricity is cut off, and deputies have no direct information. Only when a deputy turns on a portable radio, one of three inside the building, does the reality become known.

9 P.M. Yegor T. Gaidar, a former Prime Minister recently returned to the Government as a First Deputy Prime Minister, goes on the radio and appeals to all Muscovites who support Yeltsin to gather outside the Moscow City Council building on Tverskaya Street, near the Kremlin.

(In subsequent days, the broadcast will be widely discussed. There will be speculation that the army was wavering, and that Mr. Gaidar believed a pro-Yeltsin demonstration was crucial to convincing the military that there was not an anti-Yeltsin rout.)

(Deputy Premier Anatoly B. Chubais later tells Interfax that Mr. Gaidar made the appeal after the Ministry of Communications advised the Government that all communications centers had been seized by the opposition.)

Yeltsin supporters soon begin converging on the City Council and start to build barricades.

Television commentators note that Mr. Yeltsin has not personally appeared on radio or television. (In the aftermath, aides will say that the President had a speech prepared, but decided not to make it until Oct. 4.)

9:30 P.M. Prime Minister Viktor S. Chernomyrdin meets with his ministers, and a task force to suppress the uprising is formed under Gen. Konstantin I. Kobets, Chief Inspector of the Russian Armed Forces.

Mr. Parkhomenko, the reporter inside the Kremlin, reports that the arrival of two of Mr. Yeltsin's closest advisers, Mikhail N. Poltoranin and Gennadi E. Burbulis, restores order to the President's staff.

9:50 P.M. Mr. Gaidar's appeal is repeated over television, and other officials also make televised appeals for calm and support.

10 P.M. Dozens of dead and wounded are being brought to the Sklifosovsky Institute in Moscow, and the hospital issues pleas for blood. Almost all the casualties are from the television site.

10:30 P.M. Interior Ministry troops gain control there, and many rebels return to the Parliament building.

10:40 P.M. About 30 armored personnel carriers and 40 trucks carrying soldiers of the 27th Brigade are reported on the Leninsky Prospekt moving toward the center. A convoy is also spotted moving toward the capital from Vladimir to the east.

10:51 P.M. Tass issues a bulletin, saying, "Tass freed by Interior special force, resumes work."

11 P.M. A meeting of senior commanders begins at the Ministry of Defense. According to some reports, Mr. Yeltsin attends; other reports indicate that the generals are split over the use of troops. General Grachev tells an Izvestia correspondent that storming the Parliament building posed no military difficulty, but that from the beginning he had been demanding political neutrality from his commanders.

11:45 P.M. Mr. Gaidar announces at a rally at the City Council that the Government is gaining the upper hand.

Midnight The Defense Ministry Collegium decides to storm the Parliament building, but not until daybreak to minimize casualties.

(The Izvestia correspondent later reports that at this moment the ministry lacked not only a plan for storming the building but also a map of the streets around the building.)

Inside, splits among the factions become apparent. The Revolt Is Crushed

Oct. 4 at 2 A.M. The plan for storming the Parliament building is completed. The attack is set for 7 A.M. Thousands of Yeltsin supporters stay at the City Council. At the Parliament building, armed men stand guard outside, while most defenders and deputies heed the curfew ordered by Mr. Rutskoi and stay inside.

4:10 A.M. Mr. Rutskoi emerges and inspects the forces around the building from his Mercedes sedan.

5 A.M. In the Kremlin, Mr. Yeltsin signs a decree directing the Ministers of Interior, Security and Defense to create a joint task force for carrying out the state of emergency.

6:45 A.M. Army armored personnel carriers begin taking up positions around the Parliament building. One vehicle, moving toward the square in front of the building, fires extended bursts to scatter defenders.

7 A.M. The Government issues a final appeal to those inside the Parliament building to surrender: "This is your last chance, and the only possibility to save Russia and her citizens."

Shooting breaks out. (General Grachev subsequently declares that no order was given to open fire, that it began only when armored personnel carriers commanded by the the building's defenders opened fire.)

8 A.M. The building echoes with gunfire. Reporters caught inside find Mr. Rutskoi agitated, shouting into his field telephone for bombers or for foreign diplomats to monitor his surrender.

Mr. Khasbulatov seems utterly distracted. Veronika Kutsyllo, a reporter for Kommersant, finds the Parliament Speaker calmly smoking his pipe during the attack. "I know Yeltsin a long time," Mr. Khasbulatov says, shrugging his shoulders, "but I never expected this of him."

9 A.M. Mr. Yeltsin makes a televised address to the nation, vowing, "The armed fascist putsch in Moscow will be crushed."

10 A.M. After another order to surrender goes unheeded, T-72 and T-80 tanks open fire from the Novoarbatsky Bridge, spanning the Moskva River in front of the Parliament building. Shells burst in Mr. Khasbulatov's office and in the building's command center on the 16th floor, setting fires.

11 A.M. Defenders in the building ask for a cease-fire to let women and children out. Armored personnel carriers form a corridor outside an entrance to the building, but no sooner than the people begin to leave, someone from inside resumes shooting.

11:30 A.M. Special troops from the Alpha Group, formerly a K.G.B. anti-terrorist group now under direct control of President Yeltsin, report that they control four floors. More than 20 rounds of tank fire have hit the building. Fires rage in the upper floors.

12:14 P.M. A cease-fire is called, and continues to 1 P.M. (General Grachev later mentions three separate cease-fires, one for a half hour, one for an hour and one for two hours.)

2:30 P.M. Three men carrying white flags come out of the Parliament building. General Grachev arrives on the bridge leading to it and opens negotiations on surrender. At the same time, unarmed officers of the anti-terrorist Alpha Group meet with deputies inside and persuade them to leave.

3 P.M. The shooting at the Parliament building gives way to a battle of snipers. Isolated gunmen fire at troops and civilians from the top of buildings near the Parliament building. Several people are killed. (The shooting continues late into the night.)

3:35 P.M. Mr. Yeltsin imposes a curfew of 11 P.M. to 5 A.M. in Moscow.

4:50 P.M. People start leaving the Parliament building, some with their hands over their heads, and enter buses under guard.

6 P.M. The ministers of defense, interior and security appointed by the defiant lawmakers surrender.

6:05 P.M. Mr. Rutskoi and Mr. Khasbulatov march out and board buses that take them to Lefortovo Prison.

Some sniping and isolated clashes continue into the night, and die-hards remain in the building's basement. The top of the building is engulfed in flames. But the battle is over.

Around the World With The Times

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Second state House Education Committee chair tours college

Published 08.22.2024

Photos by Rob Hinkal, social media specialist

For the second time this week, a chairman of the Pennsylvania House Education Committee visited Pennsylvania College of Technology to learn more about the impressive developments occurring at the institution’s main campus, Lumley Aviation Center and Schneebeli Earth Science Center.  State Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford), who serves as the committee’s Republican chair, received a tour of several instructional areas, including advanced manufacturing & machining technologies, automotive restoration & collision repair, aviation maintenance & aviation technology, dental hygiene, diesel & power generation, polymer engineering technology, and welding & metal fabrication technologies. He saw the Center for Career Design and the Dr. Welch Workshop: A Makerspace at Penn College. He also enjoyed the opportunity to visit the Little League Baseball World Series complex, where he learned about the meals being prepared for the 20 competing teams by the college's Le Jeune Chef Restaurant staff and student employees. Topper was guided on his Penn College visit by President Michael J. Reed; Loni N. Kline, senior vice president for college relations; Patrick Marty, chief government and international relations officer; and Anthony J. Pace, associate vice president for enrollment and academic operations. He was also greeted upon arrival by Joanna K. Flynn, vice president for academic affairs and provost, and state Rep. Jamie Flick (R-South Williamsport), a college alumnus. In the academic labs, Bradley M. Webb, dean of Engineering Technologies, and Master Teacher Mark E. Sones, instructor of diesel equipment technology, provided additional details, and Kat A. Valentine, manager of makerspace operations, offered insights into the collaborative workshop.

Earlier in the week, state Rep. Peter G. Schweyer (D-Allentown), majority chair of the House Education Committee, toured the college .

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US Education secretary to launch back-to-school bus tour that includes swing states

W ASHINGTON ( INDIANA CAPITAL CHRONICLE ) - U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Thursday he is launching a "2024 Back to School Bus Tour" in early September that will include stops in multiple battleground states across the United States as he and other Biden administration officials highlight their work in investing in public education.

While not a campaign event, the Sept. 3-6 tour will take place in the swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, along with stops in Indiana and Illinois. As schools are getting back in session, the department said Cardona, Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten and Under Secretary of Education  James Kvaal  will shed light on the administration's "commitment to helping students and communities recover from the impacts of the pandemic by improving academic achievement and succeed from cradle to college and career."

Cardona said "this year's Back to School Bus Tour will remind the American people why the Biden-Harris Administration has unapologetically fought for public education, the foundation of opportunity in this country, and the contrast between our efforts and those who wish to destroy public education," per a Thursday statement.

The Education secretary added that he is "looking forward to lifting up what's working in public education and celebrating the exciting work taking place in our schools and communities to ensure that all students, no matter their race, place, or background, have opportunities to succeed and contribute to our country."

Cardona and other officials will be talking about some of the Biden administration's initiatives in education, such as promoting the importance of regular attendance, providing student debt relief - including through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program - expanding full-service community schools and widening mental health support access at schools.

The department said it has invested more than $357 billion under the Biden administration to "strengthen education across America."

This year's tour, with a "Fighting for Public Education" theme, will kick off in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Sept. 3. Other stops in the Badger State will include Madison and Milwaukee. The Education Department said White House domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden and Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will also be at some of the stops.

Officials will also visit Chicago, Illinois, and La Porte, Indiana.

Cardona and other administration officials will then take the tour to Michigan, with stops in Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit. Becky Pringle, president of the  National Education Association , will join the tour in Grand Rapids, according to the department. NEA is the largest labor union in the country.

The tour will wrap up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and feature U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. Both the  NEA  and  AFT  have endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, the vice president.

Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy brands Putin 'sick old man' in video message; Russia and Ukraine swap 115 prisoners each

Russia and Ukraine have swapped 115 prisoners of war, including some who were captured during Ukraine's invasion in Kursk in recent weeks. In an independence day message to Ukrainians, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian president would not dictate his "red lines" to Kyiv.

Sunday 25 August 2024 14:05, UK

• Ukraine and Russia exchange 115 prisoners of war 
• Zelenskyy brands Putin 'sick old man' in video to Ukrainians
• Telegram CEO arrested in France - reports
• Muted celebrations for Ukraine's independence day
• Residents evacuate key eastern town as Russian troops advance
• Your questions answered : Is there a larger response to come from Russia over the Kursk invasion?
• Live reporting by Katie Williams

That brings an end to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine for this evening - thanks for following along.

We'll be back with any major updates overnight, and will return to our rolling coverage soon.

Before we go, here's a round up of today's key events:

• Russia and Ukraine each exchanged 115 prisoners of war as Ukraine marked its 33rd independence day. The Russian prisoners were soldiers captured during Ukraine's invasion of Kursk;
• In a video message to the Ukrainian people, Volodymyr Zelenskyy branded Vladimir Putin a "sick old man from Red Square" who would "not dictate any of his red lines to us";
• Belarus and Iran congratulated Ukraine on its independence day despite the two countries' close ties with Russia;
• At least five people were killed and five others injured in a Russian attack in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region;
• Pavel Durov, the founder and chief executive of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested in France , according to French media reports.

The founder and chief executive of the Telegram messaging app has been arrested in France, according to French media reports.

French television network TF1 reports that Pavel Durov was arrested at the Bourget airport outside Paris this evening.

According to the network, the Russian-born businessman had been travelling aboard his private jet and was the target of an arrest warrant in France.

Telegram has not responded to a request for comment by the Reuters news agency.

Mr Durov - who also founded the now-state controlled Russian social media service VK - left Russia in 2014 after resisting government pressure to hand over the data of Ukrainian protesters.

He now lives in Dubai and holds dual citizenship of the United Arab Emirates and France.

Telegram, which launched in 2013, is one of the top five most downloaded apps in the world.

Lithuania has announced a fresh batch of military aid for Ukraine - including drones and air defence missiles.

Prime minister Ingrida Simonyte said the package would help Ukraine "send Russian occupants back to where they belong".

In a post to X, Ms Simonyte said the aid would consist of "short-range air defence systems and missiles as well as anti-drones, guns, ammunition and equipment".

The package would reach Kyiv by September, she said.

Vilnius has also pledged to send around 5,000 Lithuanian-made drones to Ukraine by the end of autumn as well as allocating €35m (£29.6m) to purchase radars and demining equipment.

Polish-supplied tanks are being used by Ukraine in its offensive in the Kursk region, president Andrzej Duda has confirmed.

"We are touched to see how the PT-91 Twardy tanks, given by Poland [to Ukraine] more than one year ago, are defending today Ukraine on the battlefields, fighting in the Kursk region," he said. 

Vladimir Putin has vowed a "worthy response" to any use of Western weapons in the invasion.

Mr Duda's visit to Kyiv today coincided with Ukraine's independence day celebrations.

In a speech to mark the occasion, he also expressed confidence that the war "will soon end in [Ukraine's] victory".

"I have never had, and do not have, the slightest doubt that, through their united efforts and struggle, the courageous Ukrainian people will uphold their independence," he said.

A Russian air attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy this evening has left seven people injured, officials have said.

The Sumy regional administration said on Telegram that Russia carried out a missile attack on civilian infrastructure in the city.

Seven people are wounded, including two who are in a serious condition.

"Take care of yourself and your loved ones, do not ignore the air warning signals," the administration said.

Sumy is the administrative centre of the wider Sumy region, which lies in Ukraine's northeast on the border with Russia.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed several laws targeting Russia today - including one that bans religious organisations linked to Moscow.

The series of laws included ratifying a statute that paves the way for Ukraine to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ratification increases the chances of Russia being prosecuted for war crimes it has allegedly committed during its invasion of Ukraine, according to Mr Zelenskyy's office.

Meanwhile, a law has been signed prohibiting the the operation of religious institutions in Ukraine that have links to Russia.

The legislation, which was approved by the Ukrainian parliament earlier this month, created the legal tools for the government to ban a Russia-linked branch of the Orthodox church.

Organisations would have nine months to cut ties with Moscow's linked religious entities under the new law.

Mr Zelenskyy also signed a law offering Ukrainian citizenship to foreigners fighting in his army against Russia.

Ukrainian boxing star Oleksandr Usyk presented Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the coveted WBC heavy weight champion belt as the pair met to mark independence day.

Mr Zelenskyy posted a video of the meeting on his Telegram channel, saying it was an "honour" to receive the belt.

"Thank you for everything you do for Ukraine. For glorifying Ukrainian strength and invincibility. Thank you!" he wrote.

Usyk beat the UK's Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world back in May.

In an interview with Sky News last month, the boxer revealed how he has cried behind closed doors about the war in his country.

Belarus and Iran have both sent their congratulations to Ukraine on its 33rd year of independence from the former Soviet Union, despite the two countries' close ties with Russia.

According to Belarusian news agency Belta, president Aleksandr Lukashenko said his citizens have "always had a special respect and warm regard" for the Ukrainian people.

"We are united not only by the common fate and family ties, but also by the desire to be friends and get along with neighbours," he was cited as saying.

Belarus acted as a staging post for Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and Mr Lukashenko is one of Vladimir Putin's key allies.

Meanwhile, the Iranian foreign ministry published a message on social media saying it was congratulating the government and people of Ukraine on its independence.

Tehran is alleged to have provided Moscow with hundreds of deadly drones, as well as other weapons, for use in its war on Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has used an independence day message to brand Vladimir Putin a "sick old man from Red Square".

In a video address to the Ukrainian people, Mr Zelenskyy used derisive language to describe Russia's 71-year-old president and his nuclear rhetoric.

"A sick old man from Red Square who constantly threatens everyone with the red button will not dictate any of his red lines to us," the Ukrainian leader said in the video posted to Telegram.

In his speech, Mr Zelenskyy noted that the war started by Russia had spread to its own territory.

"Those who seek to sow evil on our land will reap its fruits on their own soil," he said.

He also said "those who sought to turn our lands into a buffer zone should now worry that their own country doesn't become a buffer federation".

Five people have been injured after a Russian shelling in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, authorities have said.

The country's state emergency service said Russian forces targeted the village of Novoosynove in the Kupyan district with rockets today.

Four women and a man were injured, it said, while two residential buildings and an area of dry grass caught fire.

"Rescuers extinguished the fire and prevented the flames from spreading to other homes," the emergency service said on Telegram, adding that medics were at the site of the attack.

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