Compulsory Debating & Public Speaking

Topic

That debating and public speaking should be compulsory at school

Breakdown

Actor - Schools (education department)

Instrument - Make compulsory

Subject - Debating and Public Speaking

Note that the actor is less apparent in this topic sentence - you should default to the ‘most likely’ actor if this happens!

Reasonable basis statement

Both teams want the best outcomes for students in the short and long term, the question is whether these activities should be a core subject/component of schooling

What to prove - Affirmative

— Why public speaking and debating are good for students in the short and long term

— Why public speaking and debating would be better if they are taught in schools than in other places

— How public speaking and debating would be better for students if they were compulsory

What to prove – Negative

— Why debating and public speaking can be harmful for students at school

— How public speaking and debating are representative of skills that could be taught better outside of school

— How electing to participate in public speaking and debating at schools benefits students more rather than being forced to participate

Common mistakes

— Overlooking the word compulsory - important for both sides in terms of (equity on the affirmative and welfare on the negative)

— No analysis of the status quo - remember, many people don't have these opportunities or wouldn't prioritise these opportunities over other pursuits

— Forgetting to Identify clear alternatives - there are other places/scenarios where students can gain these skills

Conclusion

— Fun debate for students to reflect on their own experiences

— Has more complexity in its subject area than some other 'make X subject compulsory' topics

— Good for 5/6 as well as hilarious in 11/12 - particularly for anecdotes and examples!