Debating is a valuable activity for all students. It teaches useful skills for school, and life more generally.  

Most obviously, debaters develop confidence expressing their ideas compellingly and succinctly. This comfort of speaking in front of others is so useful in many areas of life.  

However, the benefits of Debating are not limited to the skills built while speaking. The preparation for competition teaches critical thinking and research as well. Debating requires the ability to see both sides of an issue and to find weak points in an opponent’s arguments. It is not the same as having a disagreement. The aim is to gain support, rather than attack. 

With these skills as the focus, Debating is offered to Year 6 students as a co-curricular activity. The program runs on Monday lunchtimes in B118.  

During Term 1, students participate in a series of training workshops where they learn to select their words with care and build their case. Students also learn the rules of Debating and the role of each speaker in a debating team. 

Barbreck debaters getting their first taste of standing up strongly playing a game of Topic Tennis based on the proposition ‘That cats make better pets than dogs’.

During Terms 2 and 3, our Barbreck Teams debate competitively under the coaching support of a dedicated group of Year 10 debaters. Although there will be a winner and a best speaker, the atmosphere is always friendly and supportive.  

I look forward to another wonderful year of Debating in Barbreck in 2023.