Last night marked a memorable event for many people - participants, judges, and parents alike - who gathered at Christ’s Hospital School, West Sussex, to celebrate one of the first-round heats of the prestigious Historical Association’s ‘Great Debate’. 

 

Each year, the HA poses a thought-provoking question to students in years 10-13 nationwide, inciting discussion and interest in history among hundreds, if not thousands, of students across the country. This year’s question is ‘Which historical place or person from your local area deserves greater recognition?’. The ‘Great Debate’ has been offering a great opportunity for young people to research, prepare and present a powerful argument for over 10 years now, and last night was no different.

 

Those in the audience - and the judges - were enthralled by the high quality of each response, each 5-minute speech being just as influential as the previous. The speeches ranged from Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, to the forgotten Kingsfold Camp, a POW camp that existed in Billingshurst yet has been seemingly erased from history. The judges - comprised of three historical experts: a barrister, Christ’s Hospital’s history teacher and a history specialist - had a difficult decision to make when it came to deciding on which one student to send through to the national final in March out of over 15 students. 

 

In response to what makes a speech stand out, Dr A Wines, a history teacher at Christ’s Hospital commented “The delivery, so certainly not reading the speech, engaging with the audience… sticking to the criteria…”. Dr Wines was not alone in his amazement at the level of responses though, another judge was interested in the opportunity to “understand what other people think is important to their local area and to them… I wanted to learn something”. The exceptional standards of every response ensured that everyone walked away feeling enlightened.

 

Similarly, when asked what makes history important and significant to him, Mr J Keet, the host for Christ’s Hospital replied “You have seen [it] tonight. People finding out about the world around them and thinking critically”.

 

On the other side of the lectern, the participants felt a mixture of nerves and excitement. One participant, Fen Collinson, revealed that “When [they] started [they] were anxious but [they] slowly began to relax and by the end [they] were really enjoying [themselves].” As Dr Wines discussed, “Anybody who came to [the event] this evening saw some amazing young people from some amazing schools”. Fen went on to say that although they were quite confident, “[they] could have had the whole thing memorised in seven languages and still have felt underprepared”. Nonetheless, all the participants were proud.

 

Overall, the impact of the event last night on everyone involved cannot be understated; it serves as an important reminder of the significant work of organisations such as the Historical Association, inspiring the younger generations but also curating a love for the past, for history, for what has shaped the world.