High schools engage in debate

Pupils of Sea Point High and Reddam House schools faced each other in the first ever debate competition between these two schools, last Friday.

The topic of debate at the Sea Point High School hall was “Should drug testing be mandatory at high schools and should there be increased police visits and searches to ensure safety at schools?”

The Sea Point team represented the proposition, while Reddam represented the opposition.

They were graded on style, strategy, and content and in the end the Reddam pupils walked away as winners of the contest.

“This was a combined effort by SAPS, the CPF and the CID and it’s a first for us doing this,” said community police forum (CPF) chairperson, Heather Tager.

“We want to make this a fun project and it is relevant to the students with the various issues in the community. We will see how it goes today and maybe do this annually,” she said.

Chandré Martin, who teaches English to Grades 8 to 12 at Sea Point High, she said the discussion was a great experience for the pupils.

“Leading up to the debate the learners were quite nervous. However, the actual debate turned out to be a profoundly enriching experience for them. They were proud and grateful for the opportunity to engage in a spirited debate against the formidable Reddam House team. Their enthusiasm is palpable, and they are eagerly looking forward to future opportunities to participate in similar debates,” said Ms Martin.

Denise Do O’Filipe, who teaches English to Grades 10 to 12 at Reddam, and said they prepared for two months for the debate.

“We are very keen on this relationship continuing and for more events to happen in the future. The Reddam students were excited and enthusiastic about the interaction and learnt a tremendous amount about debating and community concerns. It was Reddam’s first debate and very worthwhile,” said Ms Do O’ Filipe.

Reddam House received a floating trophy and R500 V&A voucher for each speaker of the winning team.