Debating at Woodlawn

Debating is a skill at the heart of an academic enterprise. It fosters in participants a regard for structure and rules, it encourages research, and it engenders an ability to construct an argument that utlilises a number of considerations. Debates around current issues encourage students to research both facts and opinions on topics which are relevant to them, and the society they will one day lead.

Debating at Woodlawn is fostered by its inclusion in the English programs as a skill and also a body of knowledge. It encourages a more complex understanding of issues which are relevant to the culture students are growing into. It also facilitates an understanding of structure in any written and oral response, and transcending a simple "sound-bite" opinion. Beyond the classroom, teams are organised for interested students to compete in local and regional debating competitions. Speaking skills are also developed in the enthusiastic response to Tournament of Minds here at the College.