We are thrilled to celebrate the exceptional achievements of our debate teams this academic year, as they have demonstrated remarkable skill and dedication in various debate competitions. Our teams have secured victories in many debate tournaments, with individual students also earning recognition as best speakers. The recent triumph of our Year 8 team in the Term 2 Round 2 debate of the Hong Kong Secondary Schools Debate Competition (HKSSDC), where they defended the side on the opposition for the motion “This house would make current generations pay reparations for past injustices,” further highlights their success.
Before this, our Year 7 students participated in the Talent Cup debate, emerging victorious in their round with one of our students named as the best speaker of the debate. In February, we proudly represented our school at the online International Parliamentary Debate Competition, in which two of our students advanced to the semi-finals. Additionally, three of our students received individual speaker awards for this competition.
Earlier in the academic year, some our students participated in the prestigious Oxford Schools Debating Competition, engaging in three impromptu debates against leading Hong Kong schools. This British Parliamentary debate format provided invaluable insights into the debate style of the UK House of Commons and House of Lords, allowing our students to assume roles such as Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.
Throughout the year, we have actively participated in various other debate competitions, providing our students with numerous opportunities to showcase their skills and learn from each experience. We are immensely proud of the growth in confidence exhibited by our debate teams over the past three terms.
Head of Speech and Drama and the Debate Society, Nicola Rae, says, “It has been wonderful to see the debate teams grow in confidence over the past 3 terms, and I am very proud of the debates they have won. Even the debates we have conceded have been a great learning experience because the students have always been able to reflect on how they did and identify areas they could improve on for their next debate. The teamwork and sense of collaboration among the groups, both primary and secondary, have been outstanding and the collective support for each other has been so encouraging to witness. Some of the motions have been extremely challenging, but the students have never wavered in their determination to research and consider arguments for both sides of a motion. This, in turn, has helped develop their critical thinking skills.”
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all our debaters for their outstanding achievements this year. Their success serves as an inspiration to their peers and a testament to the values of critical thinking, collaboration, and resilience that we hold dear at our school. We eagerly anticipate the forthcoming debates and are confident that our debate teams will continue to excel, leaving a lasting impact on the world of competitive debating.
More News
