I wonder how many times the ‘b’ word has found its way into print over the last two years?

I am, of course, referring to Brexit.

There is probably a generation of young people who are not aware that this word has not always existed: it must seem to them that politics is about nothing else.

What will the world and our country be like after March 29 next year?

I would not be so bold nor so foolish as to put forward any concrete suggestions, but it does seem to me that we have a generation of young people more interested and engaged in politics than we have had for some time.

In my view, this is a good thing.

It is good for citizens to hold their leaders to account, and in order to do so, you could argue that a good education is essential.

I would not pretend to be on top of all the intricacies of the economic arguments put both for and against Brexit, but I am confident that our A-level economists have a good understanding of the relevant theories; to understand the significance of the figures quoted by politicians on both sides of the fence, a sound grounding in maths would undoubtedly be helpful; it seems to me that there are lessons to be learned from history and parallels which could helpfully be drawn with past situations; the ability to decipher language, understand rhetoric and analyse critically are crucial when attempting to wade through the myriad of points put forward by our representatives.

Now, perhaps more than ever, we need our young people to think critically, to question and analyse and come to independent conclusions based on evidence and thorough research: now, more than ever, we need the next generation to use their education to engage fully with politics and continue to hold our leaders to account.