The case for student debating in schools (and some ideas)

I’ve worked in an international school for three years now. One of the most striking differences (trust me, there are many) between the international and UK schools is the emphasis on public speaking.

Every single child in my current school takes part in debating at key stage 3, and a huge proportion pursue debating at key stages 4 and 5. I have come to believe that debating is the single most useful group activity that we can facilitate in our classrooms and in extra-curricular activities. So, why is debating so valuable?

As Sarah Barker explained in her recent article in the TES, speaking and listening is a whole-school responsibility because it underpins everything we do in schools. Listening is not a skill that should be taken for granted; it requires practice and refinement in order to select relevant and useful information.