Speakers’ Corner Australia is pleased to announce that we will be bringing the Oxford Schools Debating Competition to Australia and New Zealand for the first time in 2024!
Running on Zoom and in-person, and using the British Parliamentary format, the competition is open to all students between year 8 and year 11 (NSW) in 2024. Up to 4 teams per school may enter.
The top four teams will be invited to participate in the global finals, in March 2025, which will be at Oxford Union in the United Kingdom.
Join us on Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st of July for a weekend of challenging debates and a chance to debate at Oxford!
Details
When: Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st July (finals at Oxford Union in March 2025).
Where: St. Ignatius’ College, Riverview.
Cost: $220 AUD per person ($440 AUD per team), including GST.
Style: British Parliamentary
Chief Adjudicator: Charlie Ryan (WUDC Grand-finalist)
Register: https://forms.gle/g3V5w7AVyg7KhSQc7
Payment link for teams: https://buy.stripe.com/5kA5nNc5Ne7v0aQ7sU
Payment link for individuals: https://buy.stripe.com/7sI2bB2vd3sR6ze28B
Timing And Structure
All times are Sydney times
Saturday
9.00am: Check-in
9.30: Briefing
10.00: Round 1 topic release
10.15: Round 1
12.00pm: lunch
12.30: Round 2 topic release
12.45: Round 2
2.15: Round 3 topic release
2.30: Round 3
4.15: Day 1 concludes
Sunday
9.00am: Check-in
9.30: Briefing
9.45: Round 4 topic release
10am: Round 4
12.00pm: Lunch
12.30: Break and SF topic release
12.45: Semi-finals
2.15: GF topic release
2.30: Grand-final
4.30: Closing Ceremony
Rules
Prep time: 15 minutes from release of topic.
Speaking times: 7 minutes.
Debates feature 4 teams of 2 (Government and Opposition, Closing and Opening).
Points of Information: you can ask questions during your opposition’s speeches.
Power pairing: who you debate each round is based on your record in earlier debates.
*More detailed rules will be sent upon registration.
Prizes
The winning team will be the inaugural Oxford Schools Australia and New Zealand Debating Champions!
The top four teams will receive automatic entry into the global finals in 2025 at the Oxford Union in the United Kingdom.
The top 10 individual speakers will be announced and awarded.
*Prior experience in British Parliamentary format is not required, and Speakers’ Corner will offer training and resources before the tournament.
Adjudication
The tournament will feature some of the world’s best debaters as adjudicators, ensuring competitive integrity and valuable feedback. This will give students, staff, and parents refreshingly reliable results.
Finals
Please note that while entry into the finals is covered by the initial fee, it will not cover travel and accommodation. Neither Speakers’ Corner nor Oxford will facilitate accommodation or travel.
Break Size
We are expecting between 80 and 100 teams to join from across several states and New Zealand!
With 8 teams making finals, we expect they will will need between 9 and teams on 10 points to guarantee a place.
Extra Training
Sign up for BP training and practice beforehand using the QR code. They will cost $30 per session per person and will run 11-13 and 17-20 June, from 6-8pm (Sydney time)
Frequently Asked Questions
Staffing
Schools staff are not required to attend, and Speakers’ Corner will provide all required supervision. Students can enter independently, without the assistance of schools.
Of course, coordinators, coaches, and parents are encouraged to attend.
Age Groups
The competition is open to any student in year 11 (NSW) and below in 2024. Students graduating from high school in 2024 are not eligible to participate. Students must be in year 8 (or 14) and above to enter.
Deadlines
Deadline for registration will close on the Friday the 21st of June.
For More Information
Speakers’ Corner is a debating academy based in Sydney, with increasing interstate and international operations. In addition to hosting and entering teams into elite global competitions, we provide world-class coaching to students of all ages and skills through our independent group classes and school partnerships.
We have been trusted by schools and institutions like Oxford, Harvard, and Cambridge to deliver high-quality debating competitions across the Australia-New Zealand region.
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