Debate Club

 

A poll conducted by The Times, UK in October 2013, declared public speaking as being scarier than the thought of being buried alive. The debate club was started a year ago, to help children overcome exactly this fear. In the last one year, we watched the art of public speaking through some excellent videos. These included some debate competitions of the Oxford Union and the India-Pakistan debate club. As we watched adults practice their craft, the students understood the elements of a debate, such as opening remarks, the use of rhetoric, the use of body language and voice modulation. We learnt to create content from contemporary issues before our society and, to present them effectively. We looked at a wide range of issues from ethics in scientific research and marketing to laws in society. We understand that we need to build a “debate culture” at our school, and these are the initial steps in that direction.