As I write this there are three days left until the end of term. Yet here I am at the Global Round of the World Scholar's Cup in Bangkok, watching twelve of our senior pupils undergoing a gruelling one-hour examination, covering many topics. A two-hour session of collaborative essay writing will follow, along with three competitive debates after that. Our nine juniors have already undertaken their debates, confidently dealing with issues such as universal healthcare and the morality of an AI passing criminal judgement.

One of the things we aim to achieve at Wellington is to instil in our pupils a lifelong love of learning. The participation of our pupils at the World Scholar’s Cup is an excellent example of this. The World Scholar's Cup provides them with the opportunity to independently learn and research topics that would not normally feature in every day academic curricula. The debating forces them to engage in mature issues that many adults would find challenging, particularly when you are unable to choose which side to argue from. Yet, as shown by Britain’s recent vote to leave the EU, it is increasingly essential that the younger generation is able to not only understand these issues, but also appreciate why various groups of people may hold incredibly different, yet equally valid, perspectives.

The 21 pupils here deserve congratulations, both in qualifying for the Global round, and for the love of learning they have demonstrated over the last three days. Regrettably, we will not know the full results until after the term has ended, but we will be sure to keep you updated!

Written by James Beadle