On Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th December 2019 we held the first round of trials for the Scottish National Debating Team. This team will represent Scotland at the World Schools Debating Competition in Mexico in Summer 2020.
24 speakers from around Scotland spoke in 5 debates over the weekend. The motions they debated were:
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This house would ban political advertising
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This house would legalise doping in sport
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This house believes that the government should pay stay-at-home parents a living wage
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This house would reduce workers rights in times of high unemployment, including workplace health and safety standards, minumum wage, working hour restrictions etc.
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This house would give dictators immunity from prosecution in exchange for giving up power
The quality of debating was exceptionally high and choosing 12 debaters to progress was no easy feat.
The progressing debaters are:
Kirsten Allen (Mearns Castle High School)
Emma Bell (Broxburn Academy)
Eoghan Connolly (Douglas Academy)
Simon Ezra Jackson (George Watson’s College)
Saoirse Gaston (St Columba’s School)
Sophie Hannigan (St Columba’s School)
Fraser Laing (Dollar Academy)
Akhila Potluru (Craigmount High School)
Zainab Sardar (Mearns Castle High School)
Freddy Simonet-Lefevre (Craigmount High School)
Oscar Swire (Stewart’s Melville College)
Lachlan White (George Watson’s College)
Congratulations to everyone who took part and many thanks to Sara Brdnik, Jamie Beverstock, Maxine Muirhead and Charles Holmes for giving up their time to help judge.
Jordan Pfotenhauer
Programmes Officer, English-Speaking Union Scotland & Team Scotland Coach
