Trent has launched an essay writing competition for our Year 12 and 13 Economics students to select entrants for the national competition run by the Royal Economic Society!

The Royal Economic Society national competition is open to all A level and IB Economics students accross the UK. All entries will be judged by a panel of 15-20 experienced Economics teachers drawn from a range of schools and colleges across the UK.  The teacher panel will meet in June and shortlist 5-10 essay from an expected entry of 500. The shortlist judging panel will be Professor Richard Blundell (RES), Charles Bean (Bank of England) and Stephanie Flanders (BBC).  The result of the competition is announced in late July/early August.

The school competition which was launched in February requires that all entries must be submitted by March 30th. The students were given a choice of 6 titles:

• 1. Africa is well-placed to achieve rapid and sustainable development in the decade ahead. Do you agree?
• 2. Over a million young people in the UK are unemployed. What should be done to address the problem?
• 3. A breakup of the euro provides the best hope for a durable recovery of the European economy. Discuss
• 4. To what extent can we use ideas drawn from behavioural economics to help address specific social and economic problems?
• 5. Manufacturing’s share of the UK economy shrank from 19% in 1998 to 12% by 2007. Does this matter and, if so, how could policy revitalise British manufacturing?
• 6. Is there a better way out of the debt crisis than austerity?

There is a 2,500 word limit and entries have to be submitted by March 30th 2012. We will then have a panel to judge the entries (hopefully including at least one parent/governor/local specialist) and will announce the winners (one for Year 12 and one for Year 13) on 26th April so we can enter essays into the national competition.

We hope that all economics students will enter this competition and are pleased to announce that there will be a cash prize and a trophy for the two winners; one from year 12 and one from year 13.

If any parents and or governors would like to be part of the judging panel, please would they contact Mr Stevens. max.stevens@trentcollege.net