London Debate Challenge

The annual London Debate Challenge Championships bring together teams of pupils from year 7-10 from each of London’s 32 boroughs. The ESU assists each borough in running a competition amongst their maintained schools to select a team to take part in the pan-London final in June.

 London Debate Challenge 2009

 The team representing Bromley from Bishop Justus High School have won the London Debate Challenge 2009. Stephen Folkes, Hannah Dowling, Ben Thomas, Liz Mehmet and Charlotte Nimmowon through three rounds in the heat and pressure of Thursday morning to compete in the final.

 On 2 July, 14 state secondary schools represented their Boroughs in the London Debate Challenge finals, held at Dartmouth House. Each Borough was represented in the competition by a squad of five students, aged 12-15, who had qualified for the final by winning their Borough competition, organised by LEA's across London. Now in its ninth year, the LDC is becoming a stalwart of the capital's maintained schools' debating year.

The Bromley Squad - left to right, Hannah, Stephen, Ben, Liz and Charlotte.

Each of the 16 teams debated in three heats, released to them only minutes before the debate started. The two grand finalists were Bromley and Haringay, who debated “This House would make learning a second language to GCSE level compulsory for all students” in the grand final. Stephen Folkes, Hannah Dowling and Ben Thomas spoke about how languages were an importnat part of understanding other cultures, expressing concenr that the UK would be seen as backward and relying on its past if it did not start to teach foreign languages to a better standard. Hannah expressed the cocenr that the UK would be avoiding the adage "he who understands the past holds the key to the future" if it did not face up tot the fact that English did not have the same cache that it did in the days of empire. Ben summarised by reminding the audience that English is valuable, but not in to the exclusion of other languages. Natasha Collett, Ruth Collett and Amy Wolf provided enlightened and well-expressed oppositino arguments, with charisma, intelligence and focus, but were ultimately pipped to the post by Bromley.

The judging panel consisted of Daragh Grant, who helped to found the LDC, Ben Woolgar, reigning Schools Mace champion, and Kate Stegeman, international debating judge and was chaired by Bilal Mahmood, ESU Governor and debating mentor. The judges predicted the rise to prominence of the speakers, suggesting that their exceptional debating ability demonstrated their potential as future leaders in the political and business worlds.  Bromley received a trophy donated by ESU London and copies of Pros and Cons.

London Debate Challenge 2008

Enfield have won the London Debate Challenge 2008. The annual London Debate Challenge Championships bring together teams of pupils from year 7-10 from 16 London boroughs. The competition aims to broaden the reach of debate in state secondary schools and to bring a new set of skills to school-children, in line with the National Curriculum. On Monday, 23rd June, 16 state secondary schools represented their Boroughs in the London Debate Challenge Finals, held at the English-Speaking Union Headquarters at Dartmouth House, Mayfair. Each Borough was represented in the competition by a squad of five students, aged 12-15, who had qualified for the final by winning their Borough heat.

LDC 2008 Winners Enfield.

Each of the 16 teams debated three motions, released to them only minutes before the debate started. The two grand finalists were Enfield and Brent, who went on to debate the controversial motion “This House would ban non-essential cosmetic surgery”. Maddie Dunnigan and Kathryn Akers from Laytmer School, and Pritesh Raichura and Miles Watson from Queens Park School drew on their experience of media representations of cosmetic surgery and well-researched statistical points in the half hour preparation time. Shamir Alvis from Broomfield School was the reserve for Enfield. Esra Neil summarised for Enfield by reminding us of the difficulties in suggesting that the right to do whatever you want to your body is not an absolute one, and must be subject to limitations by the state. He also reminded us that cosmetic surgery should not be promoted as a cure for those unhappy with their body image, and that unregulated cosmetic surgery promotes a shallow and dangerous attitude to appearance. Eliezer Treuherz spoke confidently for Brent reminding the audience of the liberal democratic right to freedom of choice, and suggested that our self-image is not the concern of the state. In the end though, Enfield triumphed with their confident speeches and well-presented points.

The distinguished judging panel consisting of Patrick Emerson, Runner Up at World University Debating Championships 2006, Louis Iwu, Reigning World Champion University Debate Champion and Beth James, Welsh Mace Champion 2002. The judges predicted the rise to prominence of the speakers, suggesting that their exceptional debating ability demonstrated their potential as future leaders in the political and business worlds.  Enfield received a trophy donated by the ESU, book tokens and free places at Debate Academy, the ESU’s residential debate weekend in July, worth over £600. Places for Debate Academy are still available by logging onto www.britishdebate.com/schools/academy, and filling in the online application form.