On Saturday 28th February 2026, Epsom College held their annual EPMUN (Model United Nations) conference, a highly successful event where hundreds of students from across the country meet to act as delegate countries and passionately debate a number of politically pertinent issues. On Saturday, seven students from Notre Dame (from years 10-12) acted as delegations from South Africa, representing their country’s viewpoints on issues ranging from the fate of Venezuela’s oil and how to expand vaccination programmes in rural areas, to questions such as whether or not to implement a central digital bank currency and how to punish criminals for the illicit trafficking of organs. This is their second and, for some, third conference and it is lovely to see how their confidence and debating ability has grown as they practise debating, negotiating and critical thinking skills.
The girls (Gianna C, Anya-Bee B, Shriya G, Isabella M and Natasha M from Year 10, and Clara H and Alexa F from Year 12) were each given roles on specific political committees, such as the World Health Organisation or the Security Council, and they are presented with briefing information prior to the day, in order to debate two issues each. They can put forward the views of their country on the issues by drafting Position Papers and then tabling resolutions or amendments to the resolutions of other countries. After lunch, there was a surprise, imagined ‘crisis’ (President Trump’s invasion of Greenland) that all the delegates had to debate and make significant decisions on which mirrored real life political life!
All the girls debated enthusiastically and practised their public speaking by eloquently contributing to the discussions and actively participating. One of the trickiest lessons to learn was how to employ the appropriate vernacular, such as not using pronouns like “I” or “We,” but, instead, referring to themselves as, ‘the delegate of South Africa’ and employing key phrases such as, ‘yield to the chair’ and, ‘right to reply,’ when conducting their discussions. A thoroughly enjoyable day was had by all and, hopefully, the students will have been inspired to help me in creating a ‘Mini MUN’ for the year 7 and 8 students going forward, so that our younger students can become the Model United Nations delegates of the future!
