Hillmorton has a growing number of keen debaters, and this year we have a novice team entered in the Canterbury Schools Debating Council interschool competition.
Our debaters have recently engaged in debates on topics such as whether the New Zealand Police Force should have a 50% gender quota, whether schools should be able to expel students, and whether parents should pressure their children to succeed, even at the expense of their happiness. All of our rounds have been hard fought and close, and our debaters are gaining skills and experience all the time in an activity which requires high levels of critical thinking as well as excellent communication skills.
We are grateful to Meg and Jane from the Debating Council who recently provided our team with two after school coaching sessions - these were informative and fun, and were well-received by the participants.