A group of boys in the Divisions are organising an event like no other: Political Awareness Week! From the week commencing 22 February, KES will be hosting some of the most distinguished politicians and thinkers in the country, including Mayor Andy Street, MP Saqib Bhatti and Sir Robert Whalley, the Former Director of Counter Terrorism in the Home Office.
This event serves an extremely important purpose: to battle against political disengagement among our youth. More young people are disinterested in politics than ever before. However, some of our students will be crucial in deciding the UK’s government in a few short years’ time. People have the power to make real change with their vote, so it is essential that everyone knows exactly who they are electing. Without this public scrutiny, the pillars upon which our democracy stands are weakened.
The week commencing Monday 22 February will be an opportunity for the whole school to get involved in a wonderful enrichment of their education, but it’s so much more than that: it is a chance for boys to become engaged in politics.
Schedule:
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Mon 22 Feb |
Tues 23 Feb |
Weds 24 Feb |
Thurs 25 Feb |
Fri 26 Feb |
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Theme: |
Identity Politics |
Gender and Sexuality |
British Politics |
Geopolitics |
Political Viewpoints |
A full schedule of all our events can be found by visiting our website.
Some events to get excited about already are:
Mon 22 Feb:
Lunchtime: Political Quiz!
After school: Presentation by Dean Barbara Krauthamer on Race
Tuesday 23 Feb:
After school: Presentation by Dr Elliot Evans on Feminism
Wednesday 24 Feb:
Lunchtime: Presentation by Mr Coverdale on British Politics
After school: Presentation by a panel of politicians including Mayor Andy Street, Councillor Matt Bennett, Preet Gill MP and Saqib Bhatti MP
Thursday 25 Feb:
Lunchtime: Debate between teachers on whether the Iraq War was justified
After school: Presentation by Sir Robert Whalley, former Civil Servant, who chaired COBRA.
It is a really good thing for boys to get involved in and promises to be a truly remarkable event. It is an opportunity to do something new and to become familiar with something that defines our democracy and our society. All the Zoom codes and other details for the events will be posted on our Google Classroom.
All events will be overseen by a member of staff, and all of our events have been checked rigorously to ensure that they are compliant with Covid-19 guidelines.
The Political Awareness Week Team consists of Advait Kuravi, James Corcoran, Will Thomas, Jacob Hiles, Jamie Gatcha, Rahul Ghosh, Prathamesh Paravathuraj and Varun Mohan. It is overseen by Dr M Otero-Knott, Director of Academic Enrichment.
Image copyright: UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor.
