Here are 10 compelling reasons given by chat.openai.com why our pupils should participate in debating at school. As a teacher involved with debating for many years, I agree with all of them!

1. Critical Thinking: Debating encourages pupils to think critically about complex issues, analyse arguments, and evaluate evidence, helping them develop stronger problem-solving skills.
2. Communication Skills: Debaters must effectively articulate their ideas, listen to others, and respond coherently, enhancing their verbal communication skills and boosting their confidence in public speaking.
3. Research Skills: Debates require thorough research on a topic, honing pupils’ abilities to gather and assess information from various sources, and fostering better information literacy.
4. Persuasion and Advocacy: Debating teaches pupils how to persuade and advocate for their viewpoints, a valuable skill in various personal and professional contexts, such as negotiations, presentations, and leadership roles.
5. Empathy and Understanding: Engaging in debates exposes pupils to diverse perspectives and encourages them to understand and empathise with different viewpoints, fostering tolerance and open-mindedness.
6. Constructive Conflict Resolution: Debates provide a structured way for pupils to engage in disagreements and learn how to resolve conflicts in a respectful and constructive manner.
7. Confidence Building: As pupils gain experience in debating and receive feedback, they become more confident in their abilities to express themselves and defend their positions.
8. Research Discipline: Debating requires pupils to follow a disciplined research process, improving their organisation and time management skills.
9. Active Engagement: Debates are an active learning experience that encourages pupils to stay engaged with current events, social issues, and politics, making them informed and responsible citizens.
10. Competitive Edge: Mastering debating can be a valuable asset in academic competitions, job interviews, and future careers, as it demonstrates critical thinking, communication prowess, and the ability to handle high-pressure situations effectively.

Overall, debating equips pupils with a wide range of skills that are not only beneficial during their academic years but also valuable throughout their lives. It helps them become more informed, persuasive, and well-rounded individuals.

At Herzlia we recognise the importance of debating and increasingly, many of our pupils are appreciating the value of debating as a wonderful collaborative team activity which offers regular opportunities for out-of-the-box thinking. This year both of our school teams reached the final rounds of the local schools’ debating league, with our senior team being knocked out in the semi-finals while our junior team lost by the narrowest of margins in the final of their competition. One of our juniors was selected to represent a WP team and we wish Zachary Rosenberg a hearty Mazaltov on this achievement. Recently we also had a member of the SA team come from Herzlia and he had the opportunity to debate internationally and compete against the best in the world. During the past holidays, we hosted a Pan-African debating tournament at Herzlia and once again, our debaters excelled! 

We continue to grow debating at Herzlia and we are delighted to announce that for the first time ever we shall be entering a newly established primary schools’ debating league in 2024, with both a Weizmann Grade 6 team and a High School Grade 7 team competing against some of the best schools in the Cape Peninsula.

Please encourage your children to consider debating as an extra-mural. They will love it! Contact me at mhelfrich@herzlia.com with any queries.

MARK HELFRICH
Curriculum Head