HSD pupil to represent Scotland at the World Schools Debating Championships

A High School of Dundee pupil has been selected to represent Scotland at the 2021 World Schools Debating Championships.

HSD pupil Dominic Westwood is to represent Scotland at the World Schools Debating Championship

Congratulations to Dominic Westwood who, alongside four other pupils from schools from across the country, will line up for the Scottish team against 79 other nations in an online competition which will be run from Macau, China, between July 25th and August 5th.

After earning his place through a hotly contested series of trials, Dominic will now prepare for the challenge of debating a range of social, moral and political issues in a series of rounds which – just to make things a little trickier – will be staged around the clock to fit in with the multiple timezones of the competing countries!

Dominic’s selection continues the School’s proud record of helping Team Scotland make its point at the Championships. The F6 pupil becomes the School’s 11th international, with four of the previous ten having been selected twice.  

Scotland have won the annual tournament four times in its 33-year history; on three of those occasions there has been a High School pupil in the team. What is more, 13 out of the last 23 teams have contained a High School debater.

High School of Dundee senior debating coach Irene McGrath, said, “Dominic has been debating since he was in Form 1, reaching a number of junior and then senior finals and consistently learning and working hard to improve.

“As an articulate scientist he contributes superbly to an activity which tends to be dominated by Humanities students. He is extremely well informed about current affairs and international relations and deserves a great deal of credit for his selection as an international.

“Even via a computer (as pictured) it’s quite thrilling to listen to him!”

Best of luck for the competition, Dominic!