commonwealth essay competition - write around the world -2009

ROOTS SCHOOL SYSTEM 

Department of Inter School Coordination, Communications & Public Relations DISCCPR 

9 th Feb, 2009. 

COMMONWEALTH ESSAY 

COMPETITION - WRITE AROUND THE 

WORLD -2009 

Participating Tiers (which are called Classes) 

• Class A - 16-18 years 

• Class B - 14-15 years 

• Class C - 12-13 years 

• Class D - under 12 years 

THE DEADLINE FOR ESSAYS TO REACH THE ROYAL 

COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY IS 1st March, 2009 

For More Detail: 

visit www.rcsint.org 

Mission Statement 

aims to bring out the best in a child 

mentally, academically, intellectually, spiritually, physically , culturally and morally.



Dear Branch Heads / Coordinators 

Roots School System is synonymous with “Brilliance” and takes every 

opportunity to expose Roots students to International & National competitions 

so that we can compare our student’s analytical abilities and intellect. 

Our student’s participation in this Common wealth Essay Competition will surely 

give them an edge in their personal achievement profile & will definitely affect 

their college admissions in world top universities. Kindly inspire & lead your 

team of students and English teachers to excel in this contest. 

Every year, the Commonwealth Essay Competition inspires thousands of young 

writers from all over the world. Organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society, 

the Competition has been running for over 100 years and is firmly established as 

a highly regarded and popular international education project. With young 

people writing from all Commonwealth countries and territories, the 

Competition enjoys much esteem and support throughout the Commonwealth. 

When the essays have been registered, they are distributed to twenty-four 

examiners for judging and the results are announced in July. The 

Commonwealth Essay Competition may be an agent for local and international 

social change, as it encourages literacy and reflective thought. 

2009 Topics: 

The Competition has four different age bands, 'Classes'. Each Class offers five 

topics, plus the Commonwealth Question and the Charlton Athletic Community 

Trust Question. As we hope to reach a diverse student body across the 

Commonwealth, there are options for both academic and creative minds. 

The Competition deadline is 1st March 2009 






CLASS A - Born 1990-1992 

1400-1750 words 

All questions can be answered by writing an essay or a story which explores the 

topic in an interesting and relevant way. 

1. Can I help you? 

2. Bullying is an issue which concerns young people throughout the 

Commonwealth. Why does it matter and what can be done about it? 

3. It is 200 years since Charles Darwin was born and 150 years since the 

publication of “On the origin of Species”. In your view, what evolutionary 

developments are needed to ensure the continuing survival and well-being 

of humanity? 

4. EITHER Unlikely friends OR an unexpected friendship. 

5. The match. 

6. EITHER the Commonwealth Question OR Charlton Athletic Community 

Trust Question. 

CLASS B - Born 1993-1994 

1200-1500 words 

All questions can be answered by writing an essay or a story which explores the 

topic in an interesting and relevant way. 

1. Tracks. 

2. What makes a good teacher? 

3. Who’s the boss in your family? 

4. Sport ~ love it or loathe it? 

5. The long way home… 








CLASS C - Born 1995-1996 

500-700 words 

1. Your assignment is to interview an animal for your local newspaper or 

radio station. Send us the transcript of your interview! 

2. What three plants or trees are most important for life in your country? 

Why? 

3. What I don’t want to do when I’m grown up. 

4. A distant cousin who lives in a very different Commonwealth country is 

coming to visit for the first time. Write a letter introducing yourself and 

your home. 

5. Write a story about the sea or a mountain or both. 



CLASS D - Born 1997 or later 

300-600 words 

1. There is a fuel shortage in your area. How does your family cope? 

2. You have decided to stand for leader of your community. Write a short 

speech stating what you will do to improve where you live. 

3. The day was perfect for a swim … 

4. The most exciting day of my life. 

5. Write about what your life would have been like if you had been born a 

hundred years ago. 








Commonwealth Question 

The Commonwealth Question is open to all candidates and entries will be 

judged according to the relevant criteria used in the four Classes (A to D). 

If you choose to answer the Commonwealth Question please DO NOT submit 

another essay and keep to your Class word count. 

The value of the prize is equivalent to that of the 4th prize in the relevant 

class. Any entrant selecting the Commonwealth Question as their topic will also 

have their essay considered for a main prize. 

Over half of the 1.8 billion people in the Commonwealth are aged 25 or under. 

What changes in your country would enhance the lives of young people? 

Charlton Athletic Community Trust Question 

• ‘The Beautiful Game’: Why does football inspire such passion around the 

world? 






GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS / STUDENTS: 

1. Students must pay attention to the topics which have been set and ensure 

that within the specified word count they fully answer what they have 

been asked to do. Otherwise the Examiners will not consider them eligible 

for the prizes and awards. 

2. Examiners expect students to show a competent command of English as a 

written language. This includes a good standard of spelling and 

punctuation, neat presentation and clear handwriting or word processing. 

Examiners take into account whether English is the first, second or third 

language of the candidate. 

3. Prize-winning entries may vary enormously in the way they are written. 

But they will invariably engage the reader’s attention in an entertaining, 

interesting or thoughtful manner. Qualities shown by candidates may 

include originality, imagination, creative writing skills, clarity of thought, 

and sincerity of voice, skilful story telling, sound scholarship or welldocumented 

research. 

4. When giving Commended or Highly Commended awards, Examiners will 

usually choose those entries which have shape and structure, keep to the 

point and demonstrate care and effort on the part of the writer. 

5. Where appropriate, candidates are encouraged to carry out research by 

reading suitable books and articles and/or by making use of the internet. 

It is expected that they consult more than one identifiable source of 

information, attribute quotations by means of footnotes and list their 

sources at the end of the entry. 

6. Candidates must not plagiarise material. Remember that Examiners have 

access to the internet and can easily identify material published on-line. 

7. In the younger Classes (C and D), Examiners enjoy entries which are 

illustrated by hand or by using computer generated images and 

photographs provided the illustrations are relevant to the subject-matter 

of the entry and do not detract from the writing . 






Prize for Common Wealth Question: 

There is a £150 prize for a winning entry on the Commonwealth Question in each 

of the four Classes. This prize is in addition to the main prizes offered in each 

Class. Any entrant selecting the Commonwealth Question as their topic will also 

have their essay considered for a main prize. 

How to Enter: 

Please ensure you have completed an entry form in block capitals and attached it 

to your students’ essay. Without a completed entry form the essays will not be 

entertained. 

ENTERING THE COMPETITION: 

Via Email 

Make sure your email includes a copy of the entry form, which can be found by 

clicking on the link. Alternatively, you can attach the required entrant details. 

You will not be able to submit any entry without this information. Then e-mail 

your entries to essay@rcsint.org 

RULES: 

1. All entries must be submitted through your branch. 

2. All entries must be accompanied by a copy of the entry form which has 

been certified by you (the branch Head). 

3. All essays must be written in English. 

4. Students can only submit one essay which must be written on a single 

topic. 

5. Your Branch may only submit sixteen entries in total and NO MORE THAN 

FOUR ENTRIES PER AGE BAND OR CLASS. 

6. Students age should be calculated as on 31 December 2008 and select a 

topic from the Class that corresponds with their age on that date. 




Imp. Note: 



Entries are liable for disqualification on the following 

criteria: 

ENTRY FORM: 

• The essay is not certified. 

• No date of birth is given. 

• The essay writer is too old for the Class entered. 

• The essay is too long or too short in relation to the specified word 

count. 

• If your branch has submitted more than four essays per Class. 

• All essays become the property of the Royal Commonwealth 

Society with the right to publish. 

Download the Entry Form for 2009 through the web site/ or find as enclosed. 

NOTE: 

If you are not able to download the entry form please complete a cover sheet 

listing the following entrant details: 

Country 

Name 

E-Mail Address 

Date of Birth 

Gender 

Name of School 

Full School Address 

Essay Class 

Topic Number 

Name of Staff Member at school (who can confirm your details are correct) 

Position of Staff Member 

E-Mail Address of Staff Member 

Any special considerations or information you feel would be helpful e.g. that 

English is the student’s second or third language or there is a relevant 

disability which would entitle the student to be considered for one of the 

Special Prizes. 






IMP NOTE: Don't forget to attach the essay! 

CHECKLIST FOR ENTRANTS: 

Have you... 

• Attached the entry form to the front of your entry? 

• Made an accurate word count? 

• Written your name, the title of the entry and the topic number at the top of 

the first page? 

• Numbered all pages clearly? 

• Used A4 paper (wherever possible)? 

• Kept to the point and answered the topic? 

PRIZES: Each class has four main prizes, the Commonwealth Question prize and a 

special prize for disabled entrants. Some countries also have local competitions or 

local prizes. 

Please check the local competitions section below BEFORE beginning your essay 

to see if this applies to you. 

MAIN PRIZES 

CLASS A (Born 1990-1992) 

1st - £500 

2nd - £300 (Stephen Kemp Memorial) 

3rd - £150 (British Council Association Prize) 

4th - £120 (Margaret Best Endowment) 

CLASS B (Born 1993-1994) 

1st - £350 (Ms Pat Kelsey) 

2nd - £200 (Sheila Ramsay Loch head Memorial) 

3rd - £150 (Cambridge University Commonwealth Society) 

4th - £100 






CLASS C (Born 1995-1996) 

1st - £250 

2nd - £150 

3rd - £120 

4th - £100 

CLASS D (Born 1996 or later) 

1st - £200 

2nd - £150 

3rd - £120 

4th - £100 

Commonwealth Question Prize 

The Commonwealth Question prize is equivalent to that of the 4th prize in the 

relevant class. The Commonwealth Question is open to all candidates and 

entries will be judged according to the relevant criteria used in the four 

different Classes. 

If you choose to answer the Commonwealth Question, please DO NOT submit 

another essay and keep to your Class word count. 

Special Prize 

In each class there is a special prize available for a disabled entrant (Sir Alwyn 

Ezra Endowment). The value of the prize is equivalent to that of the 4th prize 

in each of the respective Classes. 

Charlton Athletic Community Trust Prize 

Charlton Athletic Community Trust uses the universal language of football, 

sports and arts to create a better society. The best entry answering the 

Charlton Athletic Community Trust Question will win for their school £250 for 

equipment and a Charlton Athletic Football Kit. Entrants will also be eligible for 

the individual Class prizes. 

Each class has four main prizes, the Commonwealth Question prize and a 

special prize for disabled entrants. 






Please note: 

Kindly nominate one head English teacher / ICT TEACHER to monitor the 

preparations of all the respective groups. Ensure fullest preparation. 

We must encourage such competitions to determine our teaching standards as compared to 

other students studying in the same level in Pakistan.. Kindly carefully go through the 

Guidelines & Competition Rules as issued earlier, only then you will be able to guide your 

teachers and students. 

Thank you and should you have any queries please email k.pinho@rootsschool.edu.pk 

or by calling 

+92 51 111-123-074 Extension 103,104 or 105 at your earliest. Good Luck! 

Kiran Pinho 

Executive Manager 

Department of Inter School Coordination, Communication & Public Relations 

disccpr@rootsschool.edu.pk

commonwealth essay competition - write around the world -2009

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