Category: Opinion

How would you persuade your audience about the reality of the climate crisis?

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Tatiana - Year 11 Student Editor's note: Year 11 student Tatiana entered this essay into the annual Immerse Education Essay Competition. Tatiana chose the title from a list of over 20 different options provided as part of the competition brief. CPD ‘Winning slowly is the same thing as losing’[1]. American author, Alex Steffen, embodies the urgency needed … Continue reading How would you persuade your audience about the reality of the climate crisis?

Culture Day at GSAL was a cultural reset

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Weza - Year 13 Student & Student Editor, The Scribe There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about."Margaret J. Wheatley This year at GSAL, we held a jam-packed Prefects Week as this year’s theme was celebrating culture, diversity and difference at GSAL. Many events took place including Miles … Continue reading Culture Day at GSAL was a cultural reset

Jeffery Boakye: The History of Race and Identity

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Written by Grace - Year 12 Student Edited by Weza - Year 13 Student Editor Editor's note: Students at GSAL were able to attend a talk by author, broadcaster and educator Jeffery Boakye. According to his biography online, "[he] is an author, broadcaster, educator and occasional journalist with a particular interest in issues surrounding education, … Continue reading Jeffery Boakye: The History of Race and Identity

What limits, if any, should we place on the right to freedom?

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Rahaana - Year 12 Student Editor's note: This excellent essay was entered into the Law category of the New College of the Humanities Essay Competition, 2022. The NCH competition is one of the major external essay competitions open to Year 12 students each year. As the NCH note, " What limits, if any, should we … Continue reading What limits, if any, should we place on the right to freedom?

From micro-aggressions to civil rights, here is what you can do to help the LGBTQIA+ community

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Scarlett - Year 7 Student Editor's note: Scarlett delves into the scale of problems faced by the LGBTQ+ community. She discusses the issue with micro aggressions and uses punchy facts to draw attention to wider civil rights concerns. Scarlett also asks the reader to celebrate the diversity within the LGBTQ+ community, with several music recommendations … Continue reading From micro-aggressions to civil rights, here is what you can do to help the LGBTQIA+ community

Mental health issues in the modern world

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Anonymous - Year 12 Student Editor’s note: A Year 12 student who wishes to remain anonymous writes here in response to the thought-provoking psychology essay title set for the New College of the Humanities essay competition, 2021. ‘Discuss the sources of mental health issues in the modern world’ – what are your thoughts on this important issue? CPD The … Continue reading Mental health issues in the modern world

To what extent is the ‘Harrying of the North’ responsible for the contemporary economic disparity between the North and South?

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James - Year 13 Student Editor’s Note: Year 13 student James submitted this fascinating essay on William the Conqueror's Harrying of the North to the Peterhouse College, Cambridge, annual Vellacott History Prize essay competition. James's essay was a competition winner: as the judges noted, "[t]he standard of entries was high, but the judges felt that your essay stood … Continue reading To what extent is the ‘Harrying of the North’ responsible for the contemporary economic disparity between the North and South?

The Impact of ‘Woke’ Advertising

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Abi - Year 12 Student Editor's note: Do motives matter? Year 12 student, Abi Boggs explores the morality behind using activism in advertising, raising pertinent questions concerning the recent influx of organisations promoting human rights campaigns to sell products. She highlights the ‘hollow words’ in advertising, drawing on LGBTQ+ representation and the corporate involvement in … Continue reading The Impact of ‘Woke’ Advertising

Economic impact of COVID on the BAME community

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Anika - Year 10 Student Editor's note: There is a growing awareness that, "Current evidence for COVID-19 shows that those from a BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) background and males have been disproportionately impacted, with age and specific underlying conditions also associated with more severe illness. " (British Medical Association). However, there has been far … Continue reading Economic impact of COVID on the BAME community