Debating and Public Speaking
Prospectus SCROLL
leave-btm-vector
Debating team 2019

Debating is a significant component of College life that promotes camaraderie, offers the chance to make friends across year levels, and provides a forum for challenging opposing ideas. Meeting weekly throughout Terms One, Two and Three, students involved in debating enjoy an activity which builds confidence, skills in oral communication and an understanding of the globalized world. Sacred Heart College hosts the interschool Galway Debating Competition. Senior students have the additional opportunity to participate in the Frayne Festival, a competition between fifteen schools in the Mercy tradition.

Students also have the opportunity to compete in other novelty events, such as staff versus student debates, which are hosted in the Theatre, as well as Zoom lunchtime debates with our Galway school network. Students engage with DAV (Debaters Association of Victoria) to attend special debating training days, where the skills of argumentation are honed by DAV representatives. Sacred Heart now boasts a number of qualified adjudicators, who have undertaken their specific training through DAV. Students who are interested are also able to complete informal adjudication training under the guidance of the Debating Coordinator. These students then have the opportunity to score and commentate lunchtime debates.