NZ hosted world’s best secondary school debaters

From the 13th to the 20th of February, NZ students had the rare opportunity to witness some of the world’s best secondary school debaters as they toured the North Island as part of the Russell McVeagh International Schools’ Debating Tour 2011.

The tour was run by the NZ Schools’ Debating Council and worked its way from Wellington to Auckland via Palmerston North, Hawkes Bay, Rotorua, Hamilton and Whangarei. 

Teams competing were from NZ (Winners of the World Schools Debating Championships in Athens 2009), Canada (Winners of the Championships in Doha 2010), as well as other world class teams such as Australia, the USA, India, South Korea and Malaysia. A NZ development team of Year 11 and 12 students also competed.

The eight rounds of debating were followed by semi finals and a final. Teams exchanged arguments on important topics such as the merits of Wikileaks, China’s one child policy, electing central bankers and the solitary confinement of prisoners. They also competed in debates where they received the topics just one hour before debating.

Debates took place at secondary schools.

New Zealand was represented by team captain Kieran Bunn (Logan Park High School), Sophie Boot (Christchurch Girls’ High School), Nick Orr, (Auckland Grammar) Aric Shakur (Palmerston North Boys’ High School), and Duncan McLachlan (Wellington College). 

The New Zealand Development team includes James Penn (Whanganui High School), Kimberley Savill (Nayland College), Tim Robinson (St Bede’s College) and Michael Prendergast (Kerikeri High School). 

The New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council is a non – profit organisation which seeks to promote secondary schools debating at a regional, national and local level.

Each year it hosts regional debating competitions culminating in the Russell McVeagh New Schools Debating Championships - that are held in May this year in Wellington.

The team selected at that competition will go on to represent New Zealand at the World Schools Debating Championships in Dundee, Scotland, in August 2011.