Schools to battle it out for regional debating competition

More than 500 high school students from across the Darling Downs will put their communication skills to the ultimate test for the Queensland School Debating Competition.

The regional competition, which begins next month (March) and continues until August, will attract schools from Toowoomba, Laidley, Dalby, Millmerran, Pittsworth, Warwick and the surrounding district, who will battle it out for the title of Most Successful Debating School.

USQ Education lecturer and the competition’s 2010 regional coordinator, Lesley McAuley-Jones, said the long-running event was gaining popularity as more high school students saw the benefits of taking part.

'Last year there were 104 teams and 516 students who entered the competition, and we are expecting higher numbers this year,' Ms McAuley-Jones said.

'In terms of skills and benefits, the aim is to foster in students the ability to communicate with clarity, confidence and fluency, the enjoyment of teamwork and friendly competition, develop an informed understanding of significant issues and the tolerance of validity of other people’s point of view.'

The University’s Faculty of Education is a major sponsor of the annual event and supports the recruitment and training of adjudicators from the student body by providing a strong base of competent pre-service teachers, who act as adjudicators.

'As a Queensland Debating Union adjudicator, our pre-service teachers are trained to decide not only which team wins the debate, but also provide feedback to the debators on their performance,' Ms McAuley-Jones said.

'The adjudication becomes a learning experience for the teams, coaches and parents and is especially useful for Education pre-service teachers because it is a skill they can use as part of their portfolios when interviewed for jobs.'

Adjudicators are at three levels – Level 1, 2 and 3 (Senior) and must undergo training and accreditation every year in order to qualify.

The regional finals of the competition will be held in August.