Worth ready to start a debate

After a couple of years without competing, the Senior Debating Society at Worth will be fielding two teams in round one of the ESU Schools’ Mace competition online next week.

The Mace competition is the oldest and largest debating competition for secondary schools in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, having been founded by the journalist Kenneth Harris of The Observer newspaper in 1957.

Worth relaunched its Debating Society in the Autumn Term and pupils have been working hard developing their skills in preparation for the competition. The first round takes place online on Thursday 21 January when Worth will be the proposers as they go up against Sevenoaks School with the motion, ‘This House believes that government economic policy should prioritise the collective happiness and wellbeing of the population over economic growth’. A second Worth team, known as a swing team, will also be taking part as proposers against Tonbridge School with the motion, ‘This House would ban job applicants from disclosing the names of educational institutions that they have attended’.

The two three-person teams will be comprised of boys and girls from Year 12 and all other members of the Senior Debating Society will be in attendance online, observing and learning from the proceedings. Year 11 students are also welcome but must email Mrs Clubb to register their interest.

Among the benefits of joining the Debating Society are learning presentation skills through effective speech composition and delivery, structure and organising thoughts, improving critical thinking, listening, teamwork and improving confidence.

The Debating Society will continue to meet on Saturday mornings during lockdown, while there is also a Junior Debating Society as part of our co-curriculum and academic enrichment programme.