Feedback on School Debating
We love getting feedback from schools. Here's a letter. We invite you to comment on it, or to raise any other matter.
- Two debates in Term One is too much. There is so much going on in the first term in the way of other (compulsory) extra-curricular activities eg athletics, school camps, trips, as well as getting learning programmes under way. Two debates have been a strain on most of us, especially as, with a lot of the debaters, they are new to the activity and we need to teach them first about the rules, techniques of speaking, etc, before they even get their heads around the content.
- The first moot for the juniors (That vandalism is an indictment of our education system) was quite difficult. Should it and the senior moot (that elephants have the right of way) have been reversed?
- One of my junior teams has now had its second default by its opposition. This is disappointing and I know its beyond your control but both the teacher and the students are wondering if they are now jinxed. Perhaps the number of defaults (we've had others, and near attempts, and we've defaulted ourselves once) is indicative of the difficulty schools have in getting two debates organised in Term One.
A response
I would like you to know (and publish) this letter. I do not think that
there are too many debates in Term 1. I take two teams and it is a bit of a
push at times but if you get keen debaters within the school, you can get
your spare Advanced and Senior team members to help out with the
preparation of Junior teams. I take two teams and cannot spend every
lunch-time preparing my Junior team while at the same time preparing my
Advanced team. it is essential that you have about 5/6 team members unless
they are really keen in which case you can run with fewer members.
I would like to thank Wayne for his work in making debating happen. As a
teacher who has organised a debating competition for a few years, I know
how much easier he makes our job. Surely the experience of 1999 confirms
that! Personally if the rules stated that I had to whistle Annie Laurie in
sanscrit in order to sustain the work that Wayne does, then show me the stage!
Cheers
John Pipe
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ADA Last updated: Sunday, 30 April 2000 at 9:47am Copyright 2002 Wayne McDougall.
ADA, PO Box 3233, Auckland Central, New Zealand Ph +64-9-6252847 Fax +64-9-6252851 Mobile +64-21-962783 Email to president@ada.org.nz
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