Bolton sixth form student reaches national competition final

Shayaan Al-Asmi, a second-year student at The Sixth Form Bolton, was a finalist in the Discover Economics Young Economist of the Year competition.

The competition, sponsored by KPMG, is aimed at students in years 10 to 13, encouraging them to analyse contemporary economic issues facing the UK and the world.

Former Essa Academy student, Shayaan, entered the competition, which attracted more than 2,700 participants this year, due to his 'keen interest in economics and his aspiration to study the subject at Cambridge University.'

In the final, hosted by KPMG at their Canary Wharf offices, he gave a presentation on his chosen topic: "Should the government tax goods that are unhealthy?"

The Young Economist of the Year Competition is an annual competition aimed at Year 10 to 13 students to encourage them to produce their own ideas (Image: Supplied)

Adam Leeming, teacher of economics, accompanied Shayaan to the final and said: "Shayaan delivered a fantastic presentation discussing key areas of behavioural and traditional economics.

"The presentation tackled key economic issues and provided imaginative solutions which engaged the audience and an impressive question panel.

"At the end of the 10-minute presentation, Shayaan was asked several challenging questions on his topic, of which he handled brilliantly.

"To put it into perspective, a few of the questions even had some of the most experienced economics teachers in the audience stumbled, but Shayaan was well prepared, giving constructive answers throughout.

"Shayaan was a credit to the college during this event, the level of professionalism that he displayed throughout the day was admirable and I would like to congratulate him once again on his efforts."

Shayaan also had the opportunity to tour HM Treasury and Number 10 and 11 Downing Street with the other finalists.

Shayaan and Mark Heslop outside 10 Downing Street (Image: Supplied)

Teacher of maths, Mark Heslop, accompanied Shayaan on this part of the trip and was impressed with Shayaan’s success.

He said: "This is a fantastic achievement.

"Shayaan beat thousands of students from private and state schools across the country despite being on his own whilst most others did it in teams.

"It was a pleasure to accompany him to Downing Street where he got to knock on the door of number 11 at the start of the day as well as being a credit to the college throughout the day."

Shayaan said: "I entered the competition to gain a deeper insight into economics and to explore how economic theories can be applied to real-world scenarios.

"This experience has been incredibly rewarding; I have improved my presentation skills, expanded my network, and have had the unforgettable opportunity to visit Downing Street and the HM Treasury.

"I did not expect to get this far, and I am grateful for the support I have received from my teachers at the sixth form throughout this journey."

Assistant principal, Mark Goodwin, said: "As a member of our honours programme, Shayaan has proved an inspiration to others.

"His dedication coupled with undoubted academic ability has resulted in a successful time here at the sixth form.

"I am sure this success will continue long into the future."