In 2018
Balmoral High stepped back into the world of debating, fielding teams in Year 7
and Year 9. The Queensland Debating Union Inc. is an affiliate of the
Australian Debating Federation (ADF) and endorsed as the only State body of
debating in Queensland.
The art of debate involves mastering valuable skills: the
confidence to speak in public, and make sense; the construction of a logical
argument; the ability to read an audience’s reactions; and, perhaps most
importantly, the willingness to hear others’ arguments, and to respond to them.
Workshops are held outside of school to upskill students
in preparing for debates. At school, students meet regularly one morning per
week to plan as a team. The commitment at high school level is usually for a
round of four debates each year.
Ms Patricia Fitzgerald
Debating Coordinator