My name is Pearleen Arora and I’m a year 12 student studying Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Economics at A-level. This summer I was lucky to receive a research placement at the Edge Foundation organised by Nuffield Foundation. I’d never done a research project before, but I was impassioned to start creating a report on post-16 educational opportunities in two countries of my own choice and decided to investigate Singapore and New Zealand.
This report covers tertiary education, degree apprenticeship developments and other opportunities available to students. I looked at each country's education system in detail and their different attitudes and approaches to their own unique learning systems. I decided to look into Singapore because of its diversity in education and the cultural influences that Singapore has on their universities. I also looked into New Zealand to understand their post 16 opportunities and the rich diversity available i and how it affects education opportunities. My placement consisted of report writing and data analysis as well as a day trip to Edge Foundation’s office in London. I learnt so much during my time at Edge, including how to write a report, referencing and different methods to use, as well as gathering data to analyse.
I didn’t know a lot about report writing and connecting data pieces together but my mentor, Josh Patel, helped me with a lot of advice which was incredibly helpful. I would like to say a huge thank you to Josh, who also provided me with regular catch-up meetings and previous research done by Edge, which was a significant help to me in my report.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Nuffield Foundation and the Edge Foundation for this incredible opportunity. Opportunities like this allow a development of knowledge and encourage youngsters to embrace new challenges and opportunities for the beginnings of their careers. I realise this report is just the beginning of a new journey and I wish to find new possibilities and endless opportunities to develop my career, and carry on this journey while studying Economics at University.
Written by Pearleen Arora