MCS pupils shortlisted for prestigious academic essay prize

• Is mental health over-diagnosed or just better recognised?
• Is space exploration a necessity or an indulgence?
• Does foreign aid help or hurt poor people?
• Does Che deserve his iconic T-shirt?
• Is it ever wrong to do the right thing for the wrong reasons?
• Why do we care what happens to our bodies after death?
• Is trial by jury obsolete?

These are just some of the fascinating questions tackled by MCS pupils in the 2026 John Locke Global Essay Prize.

After submitting their essays last term, more than 25 pupils, including Fifth Formers Adam and Tom, learned they had been shortlisted for the prestigious academic prize; while one pupil was awarded two scholarships to attend The John Locke Institute Summer School. They will discover the outcome of the competition at a special awards ceremony in London this weekend.

Named in honour of the eminent seventeenth-century Oxford philosopher John Locke, the John Locke Institute is an independent educational organisation that “works to embolden the best and brightest students to become more academically ambitious and more intellectually adventurous.”

The essay competition provides an excellent opportunity to hone academic writing skills, develop critical thinking, and deepen subject knowledge. MCS pupils embraced the challenge, submitting essays on a wide range of topics across law, politics, philosophy, theology, economics, international relations, history, and science and technology. Now, they have the opportunity to have their work assessed by a panel of senior academics from leading universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford. Their success in reaching the shortlist is testament to the intellectual curiosity and academic rigour they have brought to the competition, and they should feel very proud of this achievement.

Congratulations to all our essayists and the very best of luck this weekend!