Oct 8, 20232 min read

The Socratic Club - 8th October

We were delighted with two excellent Socratic club sessions today, showcasing progress across both junior and senior groups in skills and argumentation.

We began the session with a newsround - and it was wonderful to see both groups bring so many headlines to our discussion - covering climate/global warming related news, whales - eco-systems, Israel, Ukraine, natural disasters and the party conference season. Well done all for engaging with news sources at home and at school.

Our warm-up focused on the interview question 'what would you like to be when you are older?' In each case we wanted detail and explanation. Both groups argued very sensibly that this was too early for certainty, but equally raised magnificent goals, and ambitions. From medics and surgeons, to ambassadors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, fighter pilots, businesswomen and footballers, fashion designers, authors and the secret service, we had a superb list.

For both junior and senior sessions we centred on two topics: (1) Whether the ban on single use plastic cutlery and plates should come into force in England (following those in Scotland and Wales); and (2) How should tax be assigned? To what departments/budgets? Was it right that healthcare, welfare and education dominate? Should defence be higher? What of culture? or Criminal Justice? Or foreign policy and overseas aid?

The Junior Group voted overwhelmingly in both sessions in favour of the ban with 67% in the first telling, moving to 88% in the second. Cleaning up the oceans and environmental concerns dominated the debate trumping any case of financial/business hit to takeway businesses. The Senior Group followed suit, with 75% in the first round, moving to 86% at the second telling. Whilst recycling was seen as the main culprit for the woes of plastic waste, this ban was seen as a helpful first step, following similar more creative measures in the Netherlands and Germany.

It was great in each session and break-out room to work on the skills of structure and speaking with conviction.

On our tax review it was noticeable that the Junior Group prioritized defence spending and culture over welfare and healthcare, whilst the senior group was very keen to push for more environmental support and even a sustainability budget.

Well done all on such tremendous contributions!

Autumn Term Dates 2023

3rd September