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Year 8 Current Affairs/Debating

As part of the initiative to develop Debating in the Pre, the Year 8s (or at least the half that didn’t go to Kenya) had a morning of discussion, research, presentations and debates on February 28th. We talked about the importance of staying aware of what was going on in the world around us (made all the more pressing by the current crisis in the Middle East and the simple reality that most would be part of the electoral process in five years time) and the fact that debate, as a way of settling disputes, was a defining element in civilization, and had long been so.

We then divided into two groups who were further split into three teams each. One group went into the library and watched/noted a BBC news programme, while the other went into Room 8 and did the same with a set of recent newspapers. Having switched around, each team then prepared and gave a presentation on an issue that, under the leadership of an editor in chief/head of working party, they had chosen to address.

Finally, we regrouped in the Hall and, after Mr S had explained the workings of Parliamentary Debate, we argued the pros and cons of the same issues with half speaking for, half against the Motions and with statements from ‘the floor’ and a vote from all there. This was a very worthwhile experience and gave us all an understanding of the democratic and parliamentary process. It also introduced the skills and techniques of debate which we will build on in the weeks to come – and showed that rational argument is far better than warfare as a way of settling our differences!

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