Our senior debating team of Ella Mitchell, Maia Hulton-Wells and Inaya Sinclair (from left to right in the photo - all Year 12 students), has had a triumphant series of outings in the last three school exchanges, notching up a phenomenal run of three consecutive wins.

These debates are impromptu with only a short amount of time given to prepare their presentations - and they each have to speak for eight minutes. They are told the topic (the moot), and assigned a side to argue just 30 minutes before the debate begins. They are not allowed access to the internet in their preparation time either. They have to plan a team strategy and then deliver their individual speeches from whatever notes they can scribble down in the limited time available. Against the clock and forced to think under extreme pressure, the challenge is quite intense and their subsequent polished deliveries belie the frantic preparations that invariably precede them.

They are individually marked on style, strategy and content, and their team’s overall arguments are weighed up against the opposing team’s. The final adjudication takes all these elements into account. The topics are not that light and breezy either! They kicked off with a win against Napier Girls’ High School, arguing that the moral education of our children is the responsibility of schools. They then beat Hamilton Girls’ High School, arguing in defence of the government’s right to impose regional and national lockdowns as part of its response to COVID 19 strategy. They completed their exchange hat-trick in Week 4 of this term against Rotorua Girls’ High School, arguing that bonus payments should be given to families on a benefit based on their children’s performance at school.

A special mention must be made of Ella Mitchell. Ella, who was chosen to debate in the Bay of Plenty regional team earlier this year, was named Best Speaker (picked by each opposition team) in all three of the school exchange debates.

Unfortunately, the annual Lions Debate against Tauranga Boys’ College, cancelled last year due to COVID, was due to take place on what became the first day of this latest lockdown, so they were denied the opportunity of making it four wins out of four. Perhaps if the debate can be rescheduled...