We are immensely proud of our Nayland College debating students who recently featured in the Nelson Mail article by Katy Jones on 26 February 2019.

It's a task many of us would struggle to complete well.

Work out a logical argument on any chosen topic within half an hour, and then talk convincingly for six minutes about it.

But three teenagers from Nayland College did such a good job debating a world in which it was impossible to lie, that they scooped the top prize at this year's Kahurangi-Marlborough debating championships.

Senior team Cameron Dee, Merlyn Barrer and April Clarke saw off competition from among more than 60 students who took part in the championships at Nelson College for Girls on Saturday.

Meanwhile, William Irvine and Kimberly Fitzgerald from Nayland College, and Garin College student Jesse Sherlock, took top spot for the junior team, on the topic "This house regrets the rise of relationships on social media."

Each team competed in at least four debates throughout the day. They were told if they were on the pros or cons side, and not allowed to use the internet or their teachers or mentors to help with their preparation.

"I think debating makes you think about real life issues and what can be done about them," Barrer said.
"Students learn to be objective, to be strategic and to evaluate ideas," coach and teacher Gaye Bloomfield said.
"Debating competitions create a realistic setting to test how well their logic stands up to scrutiny."