Team Badminton jumped for joy last Thursday after winning First Prize at the Rotary Youth Debate Final. Year 9s Chelsy, Darcy and Gabriella each gave a confident and controlled performance, raising important issues in their debate which wowed the judges.
With the events of the past six months, and with another two national lockdowns since the Rotary Heats, it seemed a good opportunity to present another topical argument. Their refined debate title - ‘This house believes that the NHS needs to change.’ - allowed them to present even more sophisticated points for the Final, as well as a couple of cynical ‘knock knock’ jokes which struck a chord with the audience.
As Chair, Darcy gave a warm and engaging introduction to the debate outlining why the NHS is such a valid topic for discussion, and why now more than ever we should question how it is managed. Speaking first was Chelsy, Proposer, who argued that the NHS is in dire need of reform due to its lack of technological advancements, overworked staff, and long waiting times. Next up was Gabriella, Opposer, who argued the value and importance of the NHS as a backbone of society, built on the power of the Hippocratic Oath and that negative, damaging attitudes towards the NHS are in fact the issue. Chelsy concluded that the NHS needs to change to enable better healthcare for all, while Gabriella finished by reminding us of the guaranteed healthcare and thus peace of mind that all citizens have thanks the NHS. Darcy then gave a profound closing statement, and it was obvious that everyone in the team had performed brilliantly.
We are so proud of the girls and congratulate them for their wonderful and well-deserved achievement.
This was the final public speaking event of the academic year. We hope that next time, we will be speaking in front of real-life audiences!
