Posted: Friday 11 March 2011
Pupils at Model UN Conference in Bath
Eight S6 pupils, accompanied by Modern Languages teacher Mrs Julie Biguzzi and Business Studies teacher Mrs Catherine Keddie, spent the first weekend in March at the Bath International Model United Nations Conference at Kingswood School, one of the largest conferences of its type.
Model United Nations (known as MUN) provides students with an exciting opportunity to learn about the challenges facing the world today. Pupils organise themselves into delegations, before being assigned a country to represent at the conference - the Hutchesons' pupils were assigned Poland and the United Arab Emirates
They must then seek to reflect accurately the view of that country in a series of debates on international issues, ranging from climate change to the situation in the Middle East. The students who take part not only become more aware about the issues confronting the wider world, but the also develop important skills, such as how to communicate effectively to a large audience, how to think on their feet when confronted with the unexpected, and how to work collaboratively with others.
The Hutchesons' pupils - Ava Akeredolu, Adam Bushnell, John Haughney, Natasha Koppel, David Linderman, Duncan McBride, Jodie McKenna and Raphael Selby were represented on the Economic, Health, Human Rights and Middle East Committees, putting forward their country's point of view on topics as diverse as 'The Provision of Clean Water' to 'Iran and Nuclear Power'.
"The pupils fully immersed themselves in the weekend," said Mrs Keddie. Congratulations go to John Haughney on being 'Highly Commended' for his contribution to the Human Rights Committee for Poland.