After a three year hiatus, Politics and Current Affairs Club is back.

Our first meeting had an excellent turnout, with students from across the year levels coming together for the first time. The students who used to attend are now all busy carrying out their Prefect (and Head Boy) duties, so although it was slightly disappointing, it was not surprising that none of the past members of the club reappeared. However, as I sat in the room observing the new 2023 cohort, one thing became instantly apparent: they are all hugely knowledgeable about politics.

This is a casual, fun club, where students lead the discussion. They choose what they want to talk about each week, and they pass the conversation between themselves in a respectful manner (more so than is sometimes observed in the Beehive!). During our first session, the students discussed a range of issues related to international relations, from the Ukraine war, to the simmering tensions between China and Taiwan, to the issues with democracy which Hong Kong has been experiencing. At times, we paused the discussion, and embarked upon some research in order to expand our understanding of particular situations. The boys asked each other questions, taught the others about their areas of expertise, shared interesting articles which they had read, and, at times, got stuck into some healthy debate! We ended the session by talking about the huge issues we are currently facing within New Zealand, namely the cost of living crisis and the current debate regarding how best to adapt to the changing climate.

With this excellent new cohort, and a general election on the horizon, it looks set to be a year of fascinating discussions on Monday lunchtimes in B5!