Zain’s Great Debate

Back in January 2020, one of our School Captains, Zain Baig, qualified for the National Finals of the Historical Association Great Debate with his speech on The Crusades. This was in response to the question posed by the Historical Association: ‘Should we judge historical figures by the morals of today?’

The ‘lockdown’ in the spring meant that the Final at Windsor Castle was unable to go ahead, however, in the autumn, the finalists competed online. Speeches were pre-recorded for the judges, with searching questions then being asked of each student in turn via Zoom. This was a memorable evening with an exciting range of topics and ideas explored. Zain was one of only 22 pupils from across the country selected for the National Finals. Congratulations to Zain who produced a fascinating speech on whether the crusaders should be seen as heroes. If you would like to listen to Zain’s speech – or those of the other finalists, they can be viewed here on the Historical Association website.

Miss Jane Waller

Head of History and Politics, Head of Debating