Debating
It has been another fun, rigorous and well supported debating season at SCEGGS. In this issue we wrap-up 2025 as well as provide information on how your daughter can be involved next year!
Debating Program 2026 – Get Ready!
The SCEGGS Debating Program for 2026 will commence early in Term 1. All details will be available via the SCEGGS App from early December, where students can sign up through Clipboard.
No prior experience is required, Trials are simply a way to form balanced teams, and we encourage all interested students to apply.
Training and Commitment
| Years 7–10 | Weekly compulsory training |
| Years 11–12 | Training with the coach prior to each evening debate |
Debating is a team activity, so commitment to the full season and consistent attendance at training is essential. Training sessions focus on:
- Discussing current issues to prepare for topics.
- Practice debates.
- Constructive feedback from coaches.
Competition topics are provided in advance, so training debates mirror these themes to build confidence and competitiveness.
Program Schedule
| Monday Training | 3.15 pm – 5.00 pm |
| ISDA Competition | Friday evenings (Term 1 – early Term 2) |
| Archdale Competition | Tuesday evenings (late Term 1 – early Term 3) |
| Eastside Competition | Friday evenings (mid Term 1 – mid Term 2) |
| Social Competition | TBA (typically via Zoom) |
Debating Trials
Due to high interest, Debating Trials will be held on Friday 30 January 2026, from 3.15 pm – 5.00 pm. Trials ensure fair team selection and give every student an opportunity.
Students new to debating can also join Social Debating to develop skills before inter-school competitions.
For any questions, please email here.
Debating Wrap-Up 2025
The Debating season for 2025 has officially come to an end! This has been the most student participation we have had in SCEGGS Debating history and it is a testament to the students and their natural curiosity for the world about them. Debating is a co-curricular activity which is beloved in the SCEGGS community as it allows students to be couragous and challenge their assumptions on real world issues, alongside other schools. It has been wonderful this year seeing the over 70 students involved in the Debating program and they should all be proud of their efforts.
This year has seen Semi Finalists in Eastside and ISDA, alongside Grand Final winners in Archdale.
IGSA Representative Squad
Some students in Year 10 and Year 11 auditioned for the IGSA State Representative Squad and two of our students qualified this year, which is an incredible achievement – congratulations to Lou Bien and Holly Johnston. The IGSA State Representative team came 2nd overall in their competition. Lou and Holly have been incredibly committed to Debating this year and both their coaches speak to their skill and commitment, it is no surprise they were picked for the Squad and their light shun bright this year!
Archdale Grand Final
This year in Archdale Debating, we had two teams qualify for the Grand Final out of 22 competing schools – teams 8A and Year 9.
The topic for the final was, “That we should have a 50% quota for women in senior leadership positions in large corporations and government departments.”
Team 8A took the negative side and lost narrowly to Kincoppal, while Year 9 argued the affirmative against Loreto Kirribilli and delivered a stellar performance, securing a well-deserved Grand Final win. It’s worth noting that Year 9 reached the Grand Final in each of the past two years – and this year, they finally brought it home. Third time really was the charm!
The following Year 8A debaters received a silver medal:
- Cynthia Cai
- Anna Slack
- Clementine Reuss
- Anastasia (Annie) Botros
- Arianna Li
- Sophie Wang
- Elyse Ng
The following Year 9 debaters received a gold medal:
- Anna Luo
- Sophia Whiting
- Flora Balagna
- Josephine Hatherall
Congratulations to all teams for their efforts this Archdale season, we had 8 full teams compete against 22 schools which all represented SCEGGS with pride. We hope to see all Debaters competing up a level again in 2026!
Inter-House Debating – Junior and Senior
Inter-House Debating this year was a success with both the Junior and Senior divisions having support from their House Committee’s to compete in Round 1 – 3 over two separate days. It was wonderful to see the House Spirit in the OG Building at sunset as all teams debated on a variety of topics as follows:
Junior Topics:
- That we prefer a world where people are incapable of lying
- That social media does more harm than good for young people
- That there a maximum age limit for politicians
Senior Topics:
- That we should ban all forms of incarceration for people under 18 years of age
- That governments should subsidise sustainable fashion over fast fashion.
- Should influencers be held legally accountable for the products they promote?
Junior Inter-House Results
| 1st | Docker |
| 2nd | Badham |
| 3rd | Beck |
| 4th | Barton |
Senior Inter-House Results
| 1st | Barton |
| 2nd | Beck |
| 3rd | Christian |
| 4th | Langley |
Captain’s Address
Click here to read this year’s Captain’s Address.
We look forward to supporting your daughter’s debating journey as SCEGGS continues to thrive in this exciting co-curricular space.
Suvini Kottegoda
Debating Coordinator
