St Dunstan’s College is delighted to reveal that two of our Sixth Form students, Israa and Seth, have been recognised in national competitions for their superb research essays in economics.

Israa’s essay exploring the impact of VAT charges for independent schools has been shortlisted for the John Locke Institute Essay Prize. Her writing discussed the effect this would have on socio-economic mobility.

'I found the research quite fun, and especially interesting given the fact I’m a student at an independent school and so the subject matter was directly related to my own real life experience and the experience of other students around me,' said Israa. 'I’m very excited to be shortlisted, I didn’t expect it!'

Meanwhile, Seth received a Top 30 Commendation for his essay, entered into the Young Economist of the Year competition sponsored by the Royal Economic Society. 'My essay discussed how the falling birth rate would impact the economy,' explained Seth.

'It wasn’t an area I knew much about before I began my research - but it was really interesting to learn how many other countries are affected and how it is often linked to immigration policies, which is obviously a very current political topic'.

Congratulations to both Israa and Seth!