DEBATING 2025 HANDBOOK
Preface
Co-curricular activities are an important part of the holistic education All Hallows’ School prides itself on. AHS boasts a long and proud history of involvement in Queensland debating, public speaking, and advocacy competitions, including winning the Champion Debating School in 2021 and 2022.
Starting in year 5, AHS offers these students a well-rounded introduction to debating in an encouraging atmosphere, where student learn both the art of persuasion, and get to practice these skills against other students. Year 6 opens up further avenues for practice, both in a more competitive environment (against other school in the QDU competition) or to continue learning in our internal developmental competition. Year 7 opens the door for students to enter the BGDA and QDU competitions, which remain avenues for the rest of their time at AHS. All students who nominate for debating are offered a chance to debate, however positions are limited in the QDU competitions. All positions are allocated through our trialling process which occurs in term 4.
Debating is an activity that readily complements the school’s academic program and is a mainstay of the co-curricular offering at AHS. Through competition, AHS encourages all students to develop logical and persuasive arguments; to see issues from new perspectives; to be exposed to socially challenging issues; and to strive to achieve their personal best.
Debating is an acquired skill that requires teamwork, practice, an ability to think analytically and an ability to persuade audiences through the modes of persuasion. The objectives of the debating community at AHS are:
• To promote public and personal interest in debating and public speaking
• To train debaters and improve the standard of debating at AHS
• To enable all students to actively participate in debating
• To strengthen connections to the wider school community
• To educate debaters in the many positive dimensions of the program, such as teamwork, discipline, confidence in public speaking, and responsibility
The enthusiasm exhibited from the students who have nominated and trialled is very encouraging. Each student’s debating talent will be partnered by our AHS past pupils, who will join with a select group of external coaching staff and allow us to deliver a more specialised program. This handbook aims to answer many of the questions and possible concerns of students and parents about the AHS Debating program. Parents and students are encouraged to keep up to date with the AHS Newsletter, Daily Notices, the School App and their emails during the season, as they are the main avenues of communication relating to debating participation and activities.
Disclaimer
Please note that the information contained within this Handbook is subject to change, without notice. The most up-to-date copy can be found on the Debating page of Moodle.
Enquiries
Any enquiries regarding information contained in this handbook should be directed to the Debating office:
Mr Emmett Hanley: Coordinator of Debating
Email: emmett.hanley@ahs.qld.edu.au
Phone: (07) 3230 9429
Debating Office: Debating Administration Assistant
Email: debating@ahs.qld.edu.au
Student Commitment & Expectations
In determining which co-curricular activities students will undertake, parents are asked to give careful consideration to the combined impact of these activities on curriculum learning outcomes. The first priority of each student must be to her academic curriculum. Some students can manage a range of co-curricular activities with no detrimental impact on their academic studies; others cannot. In addition, students must fully commit to each activity which means attending all trainings, rehearsals, games and performances.
As you choose activities, please ensure that your daughter will be able to meet all commitments. If you have any concerns regarding these choices, please discuss them with your daughter’s classroom teacher (Years 5-6), House Coordinator (Years 7-12), Sports Coordinator or Head of Culture. If during the course of the year teachers believe that co-curricular commitments are having a detrimental impact on a student’s academic studies, they will discuss their concerns with her parents. The School reserves the right to withdraw a student from some or all of her co-curricular activities if it is our view that her involvement in these activities is having a significant detrimental impact on her academic progress.
Rolls are marked at all training sessions. Any repeated absences will trigger a contact home, with persistent absences from training potentially result in forfeiture of your child’s position in the team. All planned absences should be emailed through to the debating coordinator as soon as possible via emmett.hanley@ahs.qld.edu.au
Furthermore, as all debates are held off-campus at various schools around the city, it is the responsibility of parents and students to ensure you organize your own method of transportation to and from debates.
For all debaters, the following expectations are upheld:
• Regular and punctual attendance at team coaching sessions at times negotiated with her coach
• Attendance at all debates (even if she is not speaking on that night) as she may be required as a Chairperson, Timekeeper or Team Supporter
By joining an AHS debating team your daughter makes a commitment to:
• Punctually attend training sessions.
• Attend all of her team’s debates – even if they are not speaking.
• Wait after the debate for feedback from the adjudicator and coach.
• Assist by acting as chairperson, timekeeper, or providing support in other ways.
• Attend one-off debates and additional training in preparation for semi-finals and finals.
• Regularly check her email for correspondence from their coach or the coordinator of debating; and
• Be well informed, by reading the newspaper and following topical issues, especially in the senior years.
Links to the Curriculum:
The ability to think analytically, to interpret things from multiple perspectives and to use rhetoric to engage with audiences developed in the program will be of enormous value to any student who desires to improve their results in English and other Humanities-based subjects.
Preparing for training and your debate
Like any co-curricular activity, the amount of effort you put in the training and skill-building reflects on your overall performance. Debating, as a co-curricular activity, is a balance between the academic and literacy skills learnt in the classroom and the teamwork and collaboration skills learnt via participation in co-curricular activities. The All Hallows’ Debating programs uses a range of resources, skills and strategies to assist students in preparing for the debate.
Time management is the biggest impact on how well students are prepared for their debate. Depending on the competition, students can have a month to a couple of days to prepare for their next debate. With this is mind, it is vital that we are encouraging our students are working on their debates, both at school and home. As a parent, it is important to check in with your daughter to ensure that they are on track – if they say they have done their speech, maybe ask them to show it to you! It can also be beneficial to make sure that there has been an allocation of time given to debating in their study planner.
Training is particularly important for the discussion and planning of their team’s case for their debate. From these trainings, students are expected to work on their speeches and supply them to their coaches by the requested date. Students should use the templates and guides given to them from their training, workshop or seminars. These give them the basis to learn how to structure an effective speech. For example: Year 5 & 6 Debaters will be presented with a ‘Welcome to Debating Guide’ in their first lesson. It is vital they stay up to date with the material we teach them. It also saves parents the headache of finding the ‘right’ scaffold to use online.
Feedback is given from coaches and adjudicators. It is important that we encourage students to take on this feedback to improve their skills. Throughout the year, we host workshops and seminars to assist in students building on these skills. Students are welcome to ask workshop/seminar facilitators specific questions to focus on improving on areas/skills they need to work on.
Having a supply of the necessary equipment is always helpful! Pens, pencils, highlighters and a big stack of palm cards (index cards are great! Make sure they are the same size!) in a pencil case specific for debating helps students be prepared!
We always want our students to have the best opportunity in debating and with all of us working together, we can make sure they have great experience in AHS Debating.
At the Debate
For all debates you are expected to:
• Dress neatly in the formal College uniform
• Arrive at the correct room/meeting point 15 minutes before the commencement of your debate or short prep time
• Represent AHS to the highest standard – this includes thanking your opposition, and leaving the prep/debate room as you found it!
BGDA Debates
• The BGDA competition is the fruit of our partnership with Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School. Whilst BGGS hosts every round, we at AHS also ‘muck in’ and help BGGS where possible!
• This means there are additional duties for AHS students at these debates! We must tidy up each classroom, and restore it to being a classroom – eg. desks put back in order, whiteboards cleaned.
• Students competing in the BGDA are responsible for making their own way to and from the venue.
• Parents are welcome to watch their child debate at all BGDA debates.
QDU
• All QDU debates are held within the Brisbane metropolitan area. Students must find their own way to and from the host school. For the qualifying rounds in the Secondary competition and all rounds of the Junior Secondary and Primary competitions, your debate will be at the same venue each round.
• The QDU has strong rules against photography - NO photos are to be taken during the debate – or we risk forfeiture of the debate.
Adjudicators
• Adjudicators are usually university students, trained to adjudicate and hired by QDU or BGDA. An adjudicator can only ever please half the room and their job can be a tough one. Adjudicators provide an explanation for their decision and will offer helpful feedback to teams at the debate’s end. Those who receive feedback first must remember that the other team is waiting and avoid taking up too much time. Those who receive their feedback second should wait politely and quietly. Any dispute/protest must be given to the Coordinator of Debating in writing. No communication from students, parents or coaches are permitted for the submission of disputes or protests. However, feedback on adjudicators may be supplied to QDU via https://www.qdu.org.au/ adjudicatorfeedback or the BGDA Schools Officer via schools@bgda.org.au
• Parents are also to be reminded that feedback to be provided by adjudicators and coaches only. You are to never give feedback to a debater who is not your child.
Missing Debates
• Debaters must attend all debates in which their team is participating. Illness or a family emergency are the only satisfactory reasons for absence. If this occurs, parents must let the coordinator know at the earliest opportunity. It is expected that the student who was scheduled to debate supply the coordinator with their speech at the earliest opportunity to be shared with the debater who will replace them.
Debating Support Group + Parent Engagement
An active support group, the All Hallows’ Debating Support Group (DSG) assists and supports the Debating program. The Debating Support Group welcomes support from both new and continuing parents. The DSG meetings provide a forum in which debating related issues may be discussed. The DSG also provide support for our major social events and fundraisers, such as the AHS v GT debate. More information regarding the role and function of AHS Support Groups can be found in the latest Support Group manual or by contacting the Communications Department. Teams Meetings are held once per term on Tuesday evenings starting 6:00 pm. Dates for meetings are noted on the school calendar.
Further information about the DSG and executive members can be found on the debating Moodle page.
Brisbane Girls Debating Association (BGDA) Competition (Years 7-12)
The BGDA (Brisbane Girls Debating Association) runs an annual Monday afternoon competition for female debaters in years 7 - 12 attending schools in the wider Brisbane area. The purpose of the competition is to give young female debaters the opportunity to improve and gain skills in public speaking, leadership, critical analysis and team-work in an inclusive and supportive environment.
Before every round a free afternoon tea gives students an opportunity to refuel and socialise with students from other schools. Following this, all students are invited to attend a Foundational, Intermediate, or Advanced training session to enhance their debating skills and ask some of the most accomplished coaches in Queensland any questions they may have about debating. All debates are conducted in short-preparation format, maximizing the opportunity for skill building and independent thought. More information can be found at: http://www.bgda.org. au/
P.S: all students new to AHS are able to gain a position in the BGDA competition despite not attending the trials.
COMPETITION
Guaranteed 5 rounds of short prep debates at Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School. For the top 2 teams in each grade, you will receive an invite to participate in the 6th round (grand final).
All rounds are held on Monday afternoons.
Round 1: 17 Feb
Round 2: 3 March
Round 3: 17 March
Round 4: 28 April
Round 5: 12 May
GF: 26 May
YEAR 7 STUDENTS
Postponement Rounds (if necessary): 10 March + 19 May 4-4:30pm Arrive/ afternoon tea
YEAR 9 AND 11/12 STUDENTS
YEAR 8 AND 10 STUDENTS DEBATING
4:30pm: Topic release/prep begins 5:30pm: Debate Begins 6:15pm: Debates end. 5-5:30pm: Training 5:30pm: Short prep 6:30pm: Debate begins Year 97:30pm: Debate ends Years 11/128pm: Debate ends. 6-6:30pm: Training 6:30pm: Short prep 7:30pm: Debate begins 8:35pm: Debates end $225 per student
Junior School Development Program
(Years 5-6)
One Monday afternoon per term, from 3:30pm to 5:30pm, all students in years 5 and 6 are welcome to attend a debating afternoon at AHS. This will be 1 hour of ‘learning’ how to debate, followed by 30 minutes of team preparation time on a topic, followed by 30 minutes to debate another AHS team, with time dedicated at the end for individual feedback. This will be facilitated by a combination of QDU-accredited adjudicators, AHS external coaches, and the AHS Debating Coordinator. This will be held in Mary Place at All Hallows’.
Students will also receive access to a debating resource booklet that they can use to guide them on their debating journey, and interactive modules on Moodle.
DATES TIMES
Term 1: TBD
Term 2: TBD
Term 3: TBD
Term 4: TBD
3:30pm – 4:30pm: Training in Mary Place
4:30pm-5:30pm: Debate Time! $25
Queensland Debating Union (QDU) Competition
(Years 8-12)
The Queensland Debating Union (QDU) Secondary Competition is the premier debating competition for students in year 8 – 12. The competition comprises of 4 preliminary debates which occur in terms 1 and 2. High performing teams are then invited to debate in the finals season, which operates on an elimination basis, in term 3. More information can be found at https://www.qdu.org.au/
TRAINING + TEAMS THE DEBATES DEBATING LEVY
Training:
- Yr 8-12: One hour of training per week
- Yr 11-12: Two hours of training per week
- Senior A: Three hours of training per week
Teams will train with a dedicated external coach.
The training time is determined in consultation between coach and students, however may be before or after school.
All students will be allocated to a team of 5 (in yrs 8-10) or team of 4 (yr 11-12).
QDU debates typically occur on a Wednesday night, on a 3-week cycle.
DATES: TBD
Yr 8-10: $335
Yr 11-12: $390
Senior A: $445
Queensland Debating Union (QDU) Competition
(Year 7)
Year 7 in 2023 will be a four round competition with NO FINALS. It will start in Term 1 at the same time that Year 8-12 competitions start. Rounds 1 to 4 will be in rotation with the current Year 8-12 offering on Thursday nights.
COMPETITION OVERVIEW
Students will complete in 4 debates (a mix of short prep and long prep debates) This will occur across terms 1-3.
TRAINING
Students will meet with their coach 1 hour per week – the exact time and day is determined in consultation between the team and coach.
Student will compete in 4 debates, at a TBD school, typically on a Wednesday OR Thursday night. This will usually occur on a 3 week cycle. Exact dates are TBD.
$290 per student
Queensland Debating Union (QDU) Competition
(Year 6)
The Queensland Debating Union (QDU) Junior Competition is the premier debating competition for students in year 6. The competition comprises of 4 debates which occur between Term 2 and Term 3. There are no ‘finals’ debates.
TRAINING THE DEBATES
4 teams of 4 students each. They will meet together with an external coach to develop their case. Students will also attend the one full year 5 & 6 training Monday per term.
QDU debates typically occur on a Thursday night, on a 3-week cycle.
DEBATING LEVY
$265 per student
DATES: TBD
Other Big Events + Opportunities
INTERNAL EVENTS
Workshop Afternoon for QDU debaters
AHS v GT Interschool Great Debate – refer to calendar and communications from coordinator
Debating Celebration afternoon for students
EXTERNAL OPPORTUNITIES
Queensland Debating State Team Trials
University of Queensland Debating Society School’s Day
QUT Legal Mooting Competition
UN Youth Evatt Competition (Model United Nation competition)
UN Youth Voice Competition (Advocacy competition based on international problems)
Competition Rules and Procedures
What is a debate?
A debate is a structured discussion with opposing views on a topic of significance. The team which argues their case best based on criteria wins the debate. In terms of criteria for determining the winner, there are three areas adjudicators base their decision with respect to the outcome of a debate: Matter, Manner and Method. Through debates, students learn to develop logical and persuasive arguments, see issues from new perspectives and be exposed to challenging issues.
Speaking Times
GRADE WARNING BELL FINAL BELL OVERTIME BELL
5, 6, & 7
3:00 4:00 4:30 and every 30 seconds after
8 4:00 5:00 5:30 and every 30 seconds after
9 5:00 6:00 6:30 and every 30 seconds after
10 6:00 7:00 7:30 and every 30 seconds after
11 & 12 1:00 and 7:00 8:00 8:30 and every 30 seconds after
Senior A Reply 1:00 and 7:00 3:00 8:00 4:00 8:30 and every 30 seconds after 4:15 and every 15 seconds after
Criteria: Matter, Manner and Method Matter simply refers to the depth and quality of arguments made. At the core of good matter is a clear stance that is supported by points that are relevant, persuasive and expressed fluently. The specifics of matter change drastically from debate to debate and according to whether a team is affirmative or negative.
Matter creates a large degree of excitement in a debate and enables speakers to think quickly and strategically about the issue at hand. It is what makes debating so compelling. Matter is scored out of 40 points.
The purpose of Manner is to hold the adjudicator and audience’s attention as well as to enhance reasoning or to highlight an emotive side of an issue. Manner entails visual manner (stance, gestures, facial expression), aural manner (language choices, vocal tone, pitch, pace, pause) and table manner (team behaviour before and after the debate). Manner is also scored out of 40 points.
Method is the way debaters organise or structure their speeches. Method is important because information is most persuasive when it is presented in a sensible, clear and easy-to-follow structure. Method is particularly important if speakers have lots of matter or material to explain. It is difficult for an adjudicator to follow what someone is saying unless they ensure their speech and their team’s case is presented in a way that is easy to understand. In debating, there are two types of method that will be assessed: external and internal method. External method refers to the way a team’s case is organised. Internal method refers to how speakers manage and structure their individual speeches. Method is scored out of 20 points.
Competition Rules and Procedures
Roles of Speakers:
First affirmative speakers are unique as they do not perform any rebuttal. This allows them more time than any other speaker in a debate to clearly lay out their arguments and to set up the case to withstand negative team attacks.
First negative speakers in a lot of respects are similar to the first affirmative speaker. It is still their job to advance the most important arguments and to establish the main tenets of the negative case. The main difference is the presence of rebuttal. First negative speeches are difficult in that there is a lot to do in very little time, so speakers in this position must be extremely disciplined with timing.
Second speakers, much like both first speakers, need to provide interesting and dramatic introductions that grab the audience’s attention. Unlike first speakers, however, the introduction of both second speakers is almost invariably a direct attack on the opposition: either for a contradiction, unresponsiveness or lack of detail. They should be short but impactful and targeted at your opposition’s weakest point.
Third speakers have more of a capacity to look over the debate as a whole, so they are usually best placed in the debate to call out an opposition which has not justified one of its key arguments. From a structural perspective, the role of the third speaker is simple: they are to rebut and then they are to rebut some more. It is crucial a third speaker spends time at the table thinking not just about what they will say, but how they will say it.
Being a Parent of a Debater
Debating is an exciting opportunity for your child: they are embarking on an intellectual journey that will teach them much about the world and critical thinking, and, perhaps unfortunately, how to win arguments with you! The QDU have some tips to help you best foster debating success.
1
Most importantly, remember that debating is a learning activity. It’s designed to help students practice public speaking and logical thinking, not to help them practice saying words that someone else wrote for them. Ultimately, while it’s nice to win debates using a fantastic speech prepared by a parent, it’s better that your child uses their own ideas and their own words, even if you don’t think their arguments are as good as they could be. It’s better to talk through the debate with your child, and the arguments decided on by their team, and then let them write their speech themselves. Once it’s written, feel free to make minor adjustments while they’re rehearsing, but make sure the majority of their work is in their own words. Not only does that help them learn better, but students are actually more likely to do well with their own work - adjudicators can tell when a student doesn’t understand the argument they’re making!
2
Debating is a team activity, not an individual one. That means most decisions need to be made at team meetings in consultation with the team and the coach if they have one. Try not to radically reimagine what your child has decided in a team meeting; it might contradict the strategy agreed upon by the team, or accidentally step on the toes of another speaker who is making a different argument.
3
Losing debates is always hard, and it’s even harder if you think the adjudicator has made the wrong decision. Remind your child that debating is meant to be an enjoyable recreational activity, and that they shouldn’t take a loss too seriously. Sometimes, losing a debate can be a much better learning experience than winning a debate, because you learn a lot about what adjudicators are looking for.
4
If you wish to view your child’s QDU draw (including where and when they are debating), you can do so via the QDU Competition Management System (QDU CMS). You can google QDU CMS, or go to this website https://cms1.qdu.org.au/qducms/welcome/. Once on the website, look for your child’s competition on the left hand side of the page, and click what round they are on. There is a search function to help you find your daughter’s team.
Guide for watching debates
If you’re able to, watching your child debate is hugely beneficial. It gives the event a sense of purpose for your child, and will help you better understand what debating is like for your child.
We deliberately schedule debates at a range of times on Wednesday evenings so that parents will hopefully be able to make at least one of their kids’ debates throughout the season. It’s important that everyone watching the debate displays proper etiquette and conduct. Encourage your child to get feedback from the adjudicator after the debate. Adjudicators are instructed to keep their oral adjudications short and to the point, and often they have lots more helpful thoughts to add after the debate is over.
Unfortunately, the QDU has strict rules against filming and photography during debates as part of our child protection obligations. Filming or photographing the debate will cause your team to receive a loss.
Registrations and Trials
Registration for current students will open at the end of Term 3 of the current school year via Moodle. Parents are required to nominate their child via the Debating Moodle page. If registration is not completed, then your child may not be allocated to a team. Registration for new students to the College is done through the expression of interest forms that are completed by parents via a link emailed to them.
Students who will be in Years 7 - 12 the following school year are required to participate in the trials held at the start of Term 4. These trials are held in October. It is appreciated if registration is completed at the earliest opportunity to ensure that scheduling of trials is communicated with enough time for students to prepare. Trial teams will be allocated by the coordinator.
Finalised Team allocations will be announced later in Term 4 via email.
The trials process seeks to replicate an authentic debate environment. As such, I have designed our selection criteria to closely align with the criteria used by Queensland Debating Union Adjudicators. This includes assessment of Matter, Manner, and Method. All students will be graded against this criteria. All of our selectors are QDU accredited adjudicators, with an independent (non-AHS affiliated) adjudicator placed on many of the panels. These include QDU executives!
Debating Awards
Students who demonstrate outstanding commitment to and active involvement in Culture Department activities over a number of years in their secondary years may be eligible for an Outstanding Commitment to Culture Award. See the relevant page of Moodle for further information re criteria (Curriculum > Awards @ AHS tab).
Communication
All important information will be emailed directly to students and caregivers. There is also an internal debating newsletter that is published approximately every 2-3 weeks with important information.
Questions?
All enquiries should be directed to the Coordinator of Debaitng Emmett Hanley via emmett.hanley@ahs.qld.edu. au
This is a dedicated space to ask any questions you may have (no such thing as a silly question!).
Alternatively, feel free to just email your enquiries at any time to the above email addresses.
