Introduction to World Schools Debate (Part 1)

We all have dreams. We all imagine the amazing things we hope to do in the future, the experiences we want to have, the things we want to achieve… And even though each person is different, I’m sure most of you have some dream that involves something international, being part of something bigger than yourself, meeting many interesting people, celebrating together after an important achievement… Or even, becoming a world champion at something.

In July 2018, four LearningLeaders students became the world champions in high school debating, after winning the grand final of the 30th World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC) that was held in Croatia. A year later in 2019, Team China also reached the semi-finals of the tournament, before bowing out to Team India, who were also their opponents in the finals the previous year, and the champions for 2019. Pretty cool, huh? So, in this article, we’re going to take a look at what the World Schools debate format is all about.

In a World Schools debate, the topic is called a “motion” and it starts with the letters “TH,” which stand for “This House.” That’s not referring to the place you live, but rather to a group of people who meet to discuss and make the laws of a country. In other words, a parliament. World Schools debate is a type of parliamentary debate that involves two teams. The team arguing in favor of the motion is the Proposition (or “Prop”), also referred to as the Government (or “Gov”). The team arguing against the motion is the Opposition (or “Opp”). An interesting thing about World Schools debate competitions is that they usually include a mix of motions, some of which are shared in advance with the participants, and some are impromptu. This means that debaters can do research and prepare arguments ahead of the competition for some of the topics. However, for the impromptu rounds, debaters have between 30 and 60 minutes to prepare, from the moment the motion is announced until the debate begins. What’s more, you’re not allowed to use the internet or electronic devices during your prep time or during the rounds!

Indeed, during your prep time for an impromptu round, you can only rely on your creative mind, common sense, and logical reasoning skills to find and develop strong and relevant arguments. Are you concerned about finding evidence? Well, don’t worry, because World Schools debate doesn’t require the use of evidence. Claims are proven and arguments are established only through solid logical reasoning. This is also true for prepared debates on motions you know in advance. While you have the time and the ability to do research and write arguments in advance, your arguments still need to be based on logic and supported with examples, and you are not allowed to cite evidence or reference specific research.

Sound challenging? Maybe, but don’t worry! You’ll get the hang of it after some practice. And, luckily, you’re not debating alone, but as part of a team. In World Schools debate, a team can consist of three to five team members. Even though only three team members are allowed to speak in each round, the fourth and the fifth team members are there to help you prepare. Usually in competitions, when a team consists of more than three team members, they take turns in sitting out and speaking in a round and only help in prep.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the structure of World Schools Debate, in the next article, you’ll learn more about how the actual debates are run.