Two Bolton School Sixth Form students have been recognised in the prestigious John Locke Essay Competition, which this year attracted over 100,000 entrants from 183 countries across the world.
Lacey was Highly Commended and Thomas was Commended for their essays, which considered questions relating to law, philosophy, religion and education.
Lacey decided to enter the competition as she felt it would be a good opportunity to explore legal theory before going on to study Law at university. Her chosen question was: ‘If judges and legislators accepted the theory of determinism, how would this impact criminal sentencing?’ She said that the question appealed to her as it brought together her interests in Law and Philosophy.
In researching her essay, Lacey learned more about the different types of sentencing and the aims of criminal sentencing. She said that she was very proud when she found out that her essay had been Highly Commended, and felt that all her hard work and research had paid off.
Thomas was encouraged to enter the competition by a friend and decided to take part when he found a question that particularly interested him. His essay explored the correlation between religious belief and government spending on education, which linked closely to what he had been learning in his Religious Studies A-Level.
He said that one of the most interesting things he learned during his research was how education has changed throughout history. He looked at the move away from learning through memorisation towards a more active approach, where students take part in lessons rather than simply remembering information, and how this has influenced the way people learn.
Thomas was proud to discover that his essay had been Commended, although he admitted that he was nervous about the interview stage of the competition. He said that the most memorable part of the experience was meeting people from across the world, who had inspired him to continue learning and perhaps even take up a new language.
Both students encouraged other pupils to consider entering the competition. Lacey said that the experience had been well worth it, while Thomas advised anyone who found a question that interested them to give it a go.