Political insight for Oakham School pupils

Published by Oakham School on Tuesday 1st of April 2014

It has certainly been a busy term for pupils at Oakham School, with a raft of acclaimed lecturers visiting the School to inspire its pupils, including James Astill, the Political Editor and Bagehot columnist for The Economist.

James, a former Oakham School pupil, spoke eloquently about his exciting career and inspired those students who are currently making decisions about their future. James has been reporting on major conflicts for the past ten years, including those in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Syria. He gave students an intriguing insight into his thoughts on Britain's current standing in the world today, particularly concentrating on the views of India, a country of which he has great personal experience. The lecture also dealt with the role that sport plays in influencing political thinking in India and other countries, which was the subject of James' first book, The Great Tamasha: Cricket, Corruption and the Turbulent Rise of Modern India (Bloomsbury, 2013).

Other lecturers have been equally insightful for Oakham's students. Critically acclaimed poet, Dr Luck Kennard, left pupils spellbound after his poetry reading, and the world-renowned authority on Italian Renaissance painting, Professor David Ekserdjian delivered a richly illustrated and entertaining lecture to Oakham's artists. Sarah Outen inspired Oakham's geographers, cadets and D of E pupils during her lecture. World-famous opera singer, Jonathan Veira, had pupils spellbound with his performance, whilst internationally-acclaimed opera singer, John Graham-Hall, spoke inspiringly about his experiences of music.