“Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.” ― Desmond Tutu
Debate is a valuable activity for students of all skill levels. Debate teaches useful skills for other academic pursuits and life more generally. Most obviously, debaters build confidence speaking in public and expressing their ideas eloquently. That comfort speaking in front of others is useful in so many areas of life, from interviews to school presentations to discussions in college seminars.
But the benefits of debating are not limited to the skills built while students are speaking—the preparation for competition teaches critical thinking and research skills, as well.
As F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.”
Debate tests and builds that ability by forcing students to see both sides of issues. Debaters flex their analytical muscles, learning to find the weak points in opponent’s arguments. They learn to explain their own ideas and assess different viewpoints, whether in a debate round, a political discussion, a classroom, or a written essay. And debate requires students to research their ideas and support them with evidence, teaching them to conduct research and assess sources. According to Arne Duncan, then-Secretary of Education, debate is “uniquely suited” to build skills required of a modern citizen, including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.
VYDEHI SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE is proud to announce that we have conducted THE REFUTING EXPERTS, an INTRA-CLASS, HOUSE-WISE DEBATE COMPETITION for grade 8 very successfully on Friday, the 21st Oct, 2022, with the topic, “SCIENCE IS THE ANSWER TO OUR PROBLEMS.” All the four houses, TAKSHILA, NALANDA, AVANTIKA & INDRAPRASTHA have participated energetically in the competition that consisted of two rounds, Opinion and Rebuttal respectively.
All the teachers and the students who have attended the competition were amazed by the critical thinking and speaking power of all the students. The way they were stating their opinions and handling the rebuttal was like a motion picture filled with action and adventure.
Kudos to all the participants and congratulations to the winners!
