On Tuesday 1st July, Year 12 CRGS students attended the EPR Conference, which is, for many, a highlight of the academic year. The aim of the EPR Conference is to create a space for all of our sixth formers to engage with big questions that go far beyond exam specifications and personal experience. We are inspired by Alastair Campbell’s quote, ‘to disagree, agreeably,’ and believe the EPR Conference champions this vision.
We are very fortunate to be supported by so many interesting and enthusiastic speakers. The challenge for our students was having to choose which three to attend! Speakers came from across the country: from universities, businesses and religious groups. We are very grateful for their gift of time and expertise. Some highlights from this year’s programme included: Understanding the conflict in Israel/Palestine; Can AI ever be truly intelligent?; How can LGBTQ+ people of faith reconcile their faith and their sexual/gender identity?
It has also been wonderful to hear positive feedback from our speakers. One speaker said “I had such a wonderful time yesterday. It was great to see so many engaged and enthusiastic students.” It was a pleasure to see our students engaging deeply with new, complex and nuanced content with maturity and open-mindedness. Students participated in practical decision-making sessions such as ethics in medicine and business. They also contributed to question-and-answer sessions around modern issues like vaping and the Israel/Palestine conflict. Finally, they were able to get a taste for university-style education by attending lectures on topics like misinformation in climate change and pacifism in religious texts.
The plenary is the perfect finale for the day: speakers are invited to form a panel and answer questions posed by our students. It was a privilege to see the entire student body engaging with the debate and learning to debate sensitive and controversial topics such as assisted dying and the relevance of religion in 2025 Britain.
Overall, the day was a success and we are already looking forward to next year’s event.
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