Debating season starts: Warwick Schools 2021
The Debating season for 2021-2022 is now underway with Senior debaters finding great success at Warwick Schools 2021, and the first round of the ESU Mace Competition.
It was a very long day at the Warwick Schools online competition on Saturday, with the five RGS Worcester teams in action from 8.30am and the final being completed by 8.15pm. Fifty-eight teams from across the UK and internationally, competed in four debates for places in the finals, each final for the best four teams in that category.
The Gold Final (for the first four teams on the table after four debates) went to two St Paul’s Girls’ School London pairs and two Ateneo teams from the Philippines. However, missing out on the Gold Final by only one team point, and, therefore, reaching the Silver Final (for teams five to eight) were RGS pupils Katy Marsh and Kasia Czyrko who ranked 5th overall in the competition, and James Preece and Elizabeth McCabe who ranked 8th. Reaching the Bronze Final, also on the same team points, were Matt Powell and Harvey Boyle, ranking 9th and who were both in their first debating competition.
In the Novice Final (for teams in their first year of Senior debating) in 1st and 3rd places were Rayyan Styles and Isaac McManus (the latter in his first ever competition) and also Callum Lockett and Oscar Haynes (in their first senior competition and only in Year Eleven).
There was an information slide for the final:
You are a talented university student whose main motivation is to do good for the world. You are deciding whether to pursue work in fields that directly help individuals, such as in large development institutions, or pursue a high paying corporate career and donate money.
The motion for all finals was: This House Would pursue the high paying career
Sadly, we were unable to win the finals but these results meant that all RGS teams competing on Saturday reached a final – a new feat for the Debating Society! Moreover, Kasia and Katy were ranked 6th equal of 116 speakers at the competition, while Matt, Harvey, Rayyan and Isaac all came in the top ten for novice speakers.
Finally, the excellent results continued with James, Elizabeth and Kasia all progressing safely through to the second round of the English Speaking Union Mace Debating Competition on Tuesday evening.
Debating is a wonderful skill to learn, huge fun to do and available for all RGS pupils. The RGS Debating Society meets each week and there is a real focus on having fun and on learning the key skills that debating develops – how to articulate an argument, how to think on your feet, as well as broadening the basis of your general knowledge. Well done to all of our debaters!
Miss Jane Waller
Head of History & Politics, Head of Debating
