Budding Young Lawyers and Politicians in Year 5 and 6

We have learnt that debates are used in lots of situations as a way for people to come to agreement on issues or make decisions that could affect many people. Laws are passed through debates, politicians strengthen and clarify their position through debate, political policy is decided on evidence presented in debates and decisions of guilt and innocence are decided by courts using a formal structure of evidence-based debate.

Learning to debate develops in the students a set of skills that enable them to articulate their point of view more accurately; to listen, analyse and respond to other people; and to collect and use evidence that can support a particular point of view. The students are developing important research skills of gathering, analysing, and source checking evidence.  They can then use the key facts they have found to support their argument and provide a rebuttal to the opposing point of view. We definitely have some budding politicians and lawyers in our group!