|
She is more used to being a panel-member on Question Time or giving short shrift to Jeremy Paxman on
Newsnight than gracing school halls, so we were absolutely thrilled to welcome Shami Chakrabati CBE to
Camp Hill on Wednesday 24 June.
Ms Chakrabati kindly accepted our invitation to lead a school assembly as part of our Woman of the Month
project which has been running all year. We have been focusing on women who have achieved highly and
who are role models for us. Indeed, each month, a dedicated team of Sixth Formers has been working with
girls from lower down the school to choose who they feel deserves our ‘Woman of the Month’ title, to prepare
an informative assembly and to put together a display board. Women who have previously ‘held’ the title this
year include Noor Khan, Rebecca Adlington and Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie to name but a few. Ms
Chakrabati seemed extremely flattered that she too had been selected as someone the girls looked up to and
admired.
After being greeted by Mrs James and me, new Head Girl, Layla Guscoth and Deputy, Janki Solanki, Ms
Chakrabati enjoyed coffee and pastries in the library and had a chance to chat to the whole Head Girl team
and several members of staff. She then led a fascinating assembly where she talked at length about her own
teenage years and how seemingly insignificant comments or events can actually be life-changing and alter
what we think about the world we live in. She talked about how as a teenager she became interested in human
rights issues and how this shaped the career path she has followed as a barrister and now as Director of Civil
Rights organisation, Liberty. Her own role model, she said, was Eleanor Roosevelt because of her
commitment to human rights, especially those of working women. Ms Chakrabati also spoke warmly about
the happiness being a mother has brought her and she urged girls to not overlook the importance of this role in
their own lives.
Over lunch, members of School Council, our Amnesty group and staff grilled Ms Chakrabati on issues such as
the Iraq war, ID cards, gun crime and a whole list of other pertinent topics. She was incredibly interesting to
listen to and she was able to explain her views clearly and with examples for the girls. Her wit and good
humour endeared her to us all.
From there it was over to our huge Sports Hall classroom where Ms Chakrabati had agreed to talk more
pointedly to Year 12, School Council and Amnesty about her work with Liberty and also take questions from
the floor. This was brilliantly chaired by Head of School Council, Bethan Dovey, and the girls’ questions
came so thick and fast that Ms Chakrabati even agreed to stay longer than planned and catch a later train!
Issues such as national databases of information, 9/11 and freedom of speech all came under the spotlight and
the afternoon finished with Haneen Abed (10X), India Miller (10V) and Layla Guscoth (12W) presenting
flowers and some Camp Hill souvenirs to our special guest.
It was a most memorable day and all the girls were a credit to the school. Ms Chakrabati commented on their
intelligent questions and how well informed CHG students are about such important issues.
Special thanks must go to Frances Arnull, Ellen Parkes and Elaine Joseph who sang and played piano
beautifully in assembly. Also we are grateful to Mrs James, Mrs Johnson and Ms Owens for their help in
organising the event and to Mr Cox, who was our intrepid photographer for the day!
< Back
to News & Events
|
