Year 12 pupil Shane Mahen’s essay has been selected for the final shortlist in the highly regarded Royal Economic Society (RES) Essay competiton.
Of the hundreds of entrants the competition attracts each year – some from as far afield as Singapore and Auckland – Shane is among just 18 who have made it to the final.
“We are very pleased for Shane that his essay has been so well received,” said Headmaster Neil Enright. “This is a competition that is renowned as demanding and rigorous. It requires an ability to express a high degree of economic knowledge in a fluent and well-presented style, so to make the final shortlist is an excellent achievement.”
Shane submitted a 2,500 word essay on the topic Africa is well-placed to achieve rapid and sustainable development in the decade ahead. Do you agree?
The annual competition is run in conjunction with tutor2u – an online tutoring platform that specialises in Economics and Business Studies. Co-founder Geoff Riley, who was formerly Head of Economics at Eton College, said: “The standard of writing this year was very high – judging by the quality of the entries, the future of our wonderful subject is in good hands.”
The final judging panel comprises Professor Richard Blundell of the RES, Charles Bean from the Bank of England and the BBC’s Economics Correspondent, Stephanie Flanders. The prize-winners will be announced in August 2012 and the first-prize of £1,000 and runner-up prizes of £500 will be awarded at the RES Annual Public Lecture in the autumn.