There are several opportunities for students who wish to participate in Debating at Girls Grammar. A brief description of the various opportunities is below.
The Queensland Debating Union (QDU) Competition
This competition is open to students from Years 8 to 12 and runs from March to July for all teams. Debaters successful in the preliminary rounds will continue to debate until the grand final in September. The competition opens to Year 7 girls in Term 3.
Girls Grammar may enter up to 35 teams that compete throughout the season. The Year 8 to 12 competition consists of a preliminary round of four debates in pools drawn from local schools across South East Queensland. Successful teams from this phase are invited to continue in a ‘knock-out’ format for six more debates to determine the State winner at each year level. In 2018, the 10.2 team won the State Grand Final.
The elite Senior A division comprises the top 16 teams from the previous year’s Year 11 competition, with the format differing slightly from that of the other five levels.
Students have been emailed sign on details and are required to register on Moodle by Friday 8 February 2019.
Brisbane Girls Junior Debating Competition (BGJDC)
This competition provides young debaters with experience in short preparation debates and is open to Years 7 and 8. The competition comprises five debates held from March to June. Girls are coached weekly and find the skills developed closely complement those required for the QDU competition. Both QDU debaters and girls with no other debating commitments are eligible and encouraged to enter.
This competition is held on Tuesday afternoons and involves students competing against other girls’ schools. The BGJDC is hosted by Girls Grammar and All Hallows’ School on alternate fortnights.
Students have been emailed sign on details and are required to register on Moodle by Friday 8 February 2019.
QUT Business School Girls Debating Competition (BGDA)
The BGDA offers debaters in Years 10, 11 and 12 the opportunity to hone their short preparation debating skills with a series of debates in Terms 1 and 2 against teams from other girls’ schools. Hosted by Girls Grammar, the competition is held on Monday afternoons and provides debaters with access to advice and mentoring from experienced adjudicators and senior debaters. Debaters for this competition are usually drawn from the QDU teams.
State Debating Team
The trials for the State Debating Team are delivered by QDU on weekends throughout March, with nominations closing at the QDU Summer School on Sunday 17 February 2019. Debating students in Years 10, 11 and 12 are encouraged to trial, both for the experience of debating at a higher level and for the opportunity to represent their State at the national level. In 2017, Isabel Nolan (12B and Senior A coach) captained the Queensland Schools Debating team and was a member of the Australian Schools Debating Team.
Eligible students have been emailed sign on details.
For further information, please contact Debating Coordinator, Mrs Anne Byrne.
Mrs Anne Byrne
Debating Coordinator
