Last weekend two of our Year 10 pupils Elise Katholos & Kimberly Wang travelled to Cambridge University to take part in the finals of the International Competition for Young Debaters based on their performance at the Greek qualifying round in February. The competition took place at the world-famous Cambridge Union Debating Society. There were teams from all over the world and all over the UK, each of which was the best in their region, so the competition was extremely tough.
Our debaters had just 15 minutes to prepare for motions like whether for-profit universities should be banned, whether prisoners should be allowed to volunteer for medical trials in exchange for lighter sentences, and whether immigrants should prioritise the protection of their traditional culture over assimilation. It was a fantastic opportunity not only to test their debating skills, but also to meet some of the brightest minds of their generation in one of the most iconic academic locations in the world. When asked about the whirlwind 48-hour trip, Elise said, “the entire experience was so much fun, I learnt so much and I have made many memories I will never forget.”
