Debating
Reading the newspapers, undertaking research online, marshalling knowledge, evaluating principles, structuring arguments, developing rhetoric, polishing style and standing up in front of a critical audience to present a team line; what’s not to like about debating? At every level pupils who are interested in current affairs and are keen to learn how to speak in public have the opportunity to stretch themselves intellectually, to interact competitively, to meet other debaters from all over the country and to maintain the honourable High School tradition of bringing home some silverware.
From fun lunchtime debates in classrooms at the Young Speakers’ Club, through junior tournaments which may have their finals day in Oxford to senior competitions at a number of universities, there are opportunities in debating for any hard-working pupil. Some competitions demand a fortnight’s research into topics such as fiscal autonomy for Scotland or whether development aid should be tied to human rights; others require competitors to be able, at fifteen minutes’ notice, to construct an argument on current issues such as banning size zero models or introducing positive discrimination in higher education. Getting into the habit of acquiring this sort of knowledge will be a valuable asset for all sorts of interviews in the future!
Outwith and beyond school, opportunities continue. The accolade of representing one’s country is the ultimate prize for which committed debaters strive, our pupils at least as assiduously as any; of the last 11 Scottish international teams, 8 have contained a speaker from the High School of Dundee. Further, a remarkable record was set in 2007 when Scotland won the World Schools Debating Championship in Seoul, South Korea. One of that team was our pupil Neil Dewar, whose elder sister Fiona had been a member of the previous Scottish team to win Worlds in 1999. We are fairly sure that no other school has produced sibling World Champions!
World Championships are held at university level too; recently Oxford sent 10 speakers and 5 judges to Thailand, all of whom had to compete for their places. 3 of those 15 students had attended the same school; the High School of Dundee. 20% of the Oxford contingent - people noticed.
No successful team can ever rest on its laurels; this is particularly the case in schools where no sooner have debaters tallied up their wins than they are off to a prestigious university and the coach has to start again. If you feel that you have the drive, energy and sense of humour (you do need one of those!) to pursue challenges such as these and to travel the country and maybe even the world in the process, the first step is through Mrs McGrath’s door on Mondays and Thursdays. She and Mrs Ovenstone-Jones look forward to seeing you!
Debating news
Debating success for Megan and Andrew
Rachael on a high after St Andrew's Day debating success
Close result in International Mace