Our Senior School Debating co-curricular program has launched for the year with enthusiasm, skill, and strong teamwork from our students. The program provides a valuable opportunity for students to collaborate, think critically, and develop persuasive arguments on a wide range of contemporary issues.
Throughout the year, our teams compete in five interschool debates against schools in the Glen Waverley district. These debates are held in the evenings at Avila College, where students work together to plan, prepare, structure, and present their cases in an effort to convince the adjudicator that their argument is the most compelling.
In 2026, we are proud to have six teams representing the School across Years 9–11.
For last night’s Round 1, students debated the following topics:
- Year 9: It should be free to camp in all National Parks in Australia (both teams argued against the point).
- Year 10: Airlines should be banned from overbooking flights (both teams argued against the point).
- Year 11: The government should require all police officers to wear and activate body-worn cameras when on duty (both teams argued against the point).
The students achieved an excellent overall result, with four wins and two losses across our six teams. Congratulations also to our Best Speaker award recipients: Josh Hick, Ahan Sarkar, Ruby Feng, and Methuki Don, whose outstanding individual performances were recognised by adjudicators.
The commitment shown by our students demonstrates impressive discipline, confidence, and teamwork – qualities that extend well beyond debating and enrich their broader learning journey. In addition to interschool competitions, students will also have the opportunity to participate in our annual House Debates later in the year, providing another platform to develop their speaking and argumentation skills.
Congratulations to all students involved on a fantastic start to the debating season.
