On Thursday 28th June, Lower 5th GCSE Religious Studies students had the privilege of being able to spend a day with renowned philosopher Dr Peter Vardy. We listened to four fascinating lectures which spanned various subjects relevant to the course, including the Existence of God, War and Justice, Medical Ethics and Environmental Ethics. The day was very helpful in contributing to the students’ understanding of the GCSE specification and each lecture was filled with interesting discussions and debates where students were able to voice their opinions on topics such as Genetic Engineering and the Sanctity of Life. As well as being very interesting, the debates enabled everyone to practise their argumentative and persuasive skills, which are a key element of the written examination.
In the afternoon, we had the pleasure of welcoming Major Naveed Muhammad MBE, the chair of the Armed Forces Muslim Association, who has worked in the British Army for over 30 years. Major Muhammad talked about the incorporation of faith into life in the army and how he was able to maintain his faith during his deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. After this interesting talk, the students were able to ask him questions about his faith.
We were very honoured to receive both Dr Vardy and Major Muhammad and all of the Lower 5th thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was both thought-provoking and incredibly useful as the students enter the second year of their Religious Studies GCSE.
