Arianna Azari the winner of the Historical Associations' ‘Great Debate' 2012

The Historical Association' Great Debate once more showcased the outstanding ability of young people to engage with history. Individuals, movements, technology and events were all discussed to illustrate the question ‘Why history matters to me'.

The winner Arianna, from Henrietta Barnett School, spoke for her allotted five minutes on the Dutch famine in the winter of 1944/45. Illustrating her research was the personal experience of her own grandmother a witness and survivor the famine.

The judges described her as demonstrating a full grasp of the subject, with strong arguments, use of the personal in an appropriate way, whilst evaluating the cases and effects of the period in a clear and cohesive way.

However, the standard over all was exceptional. One of the judges commented:

" We were all impressed by the passion, wit and command of detail and argument shown by the contestants. They are a great credit to their schools and families and promise a bright future for the study of history in Britain and Ireland." Dr Steven Gunn of Merton College, Oxford

The competition allowed for one runner up who was Jill Luke from Sullivan Upper school, Belfast. She argued that history mattered because it provided you with examples of individuals that had changed the way people lived. As a protestant from Northern Ireland she spoke of the influence of the Catholic politician John Hume as an example of those who can bring about change.

Also recognised for their talks were two young people singled out by the judges as highly commended.

They were Tyler Anderson from Havant College, Chichester, and Patrick O'Donohoe from Gongaza College, Dublin.

The 24 students aged 16 to 18 years that took part in the final had all won local heats held across the whole of the British Isles to reach the final on 10 March 2012, at Merton College Oxford. Many of the talks drew on family histories to illustrate ‘Why History Matters to Me' whilst others focused on incidents of events that they had learned from stuffing history that had made them understand or reflect on matters differently. A number of them made reference to the Arab spring and how a knowledge of history had helped them to understand and decipher the reports on that.

Jim Belben of Hodder education one of the judges said:

" I was stunned and thrilled by the range of the subject matter and the energy and skill the contestants bought to the task. If the government needs and advisors on the new history curriculum they should reconvene these 24 young people and get them to write it!"

And Professor Jackie Eales, President of the Historical Association enthused, "It was fantastic hearing the historians of the future talking about their passion for history".

 

The young people themselves all spoke about what a wonderful experience the whole competition had been.