World Schools Debating Championships Explained

The World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) is an annual English-language debating tournament for high school-level teams representing different nations.

History

The championships were first held in August 1988 in Australia, as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations. Members of the Australian Debating Federation were aware that the World Universities Debating Championship was to be hosted by the University of Sydney in January that year, but no similar event for high school students existed at the time. However the rapid growth of the university championships since its founding in 1981 showed the potential for international debating competitions. Christopher Erskine took on the task of organising the first world schools championships, which was then called the Bicentennial International School Students Debating Championships. Six nations competed in the inaugural tournament – Australia, Canada, England, Hong Kong, New Zealand and the United States. The teams flew into different cities in Australia for their first debates, before meeting-up in Canberra for the second week of the competition.[1] The event was ultimately won by Canada, who defeated Australia in the Grand Final.

The success of the 1988 event saw Canada offer to host the second championship two years later in 1990. That year, the event was called the World Debating Championships. Seven teams took part in the 1990 competition, with first-time participants Scotland emerging as champions.

In 1991, the championships were held in Edinburgh, and the event took on its present name of the World Schools Debating Championships. Since then, the championships have rapidly grown in size.

Each nation is entitled to enter one team. As with some other international competitions (such as the FIFA World Cup), the nations of the United Kingdom are allowed to take part individually, as are dependent territories (such as Bermuda) and special regions of some countries (such as Hong Kong).

All debates in the championship are in English. This is for practical reasons, but it means that many teams debate in what is for them a foreign language. This has not stopped a number of these teams being very successful. China and India have won one world title each. Pakistan and Sri Lanka have reached the Grand Final; while the Philippines, Argentina, Peru, Greece and Israel have all reached the semi-finals. Special awards have been introduced for the highest-ranked teams made-up of English-as-a-second-language (ESL) and English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) speakers.

To show that debate is universal, hosts in non-English-speaking nations have often showcased demonstration (non-competition) debates in their own language during the championships. A notable example was in Lima in 2003, where the teams from Argentina and Peru gave a demonstration debate in Spanish (but in the World Schools style) in the Congress of Peru chamber.

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the championship which was due to be held in Mexico City in 2020 was switched to being an Online World Schools Debating Championship, with all the debates conducted through Zoom. The 2021 championship hosted by Macau and the 2022 championship hosted by the Netherlands were also conducted online. In 2023, the championship resumed in person in Hanoi.

Format

World Schools Debating Championship debates use a special format known as 'World Schools Style Debating'. This is a combination of the Asian Parliamentary and Australian formats, designed to meet the needs of the tournament. Each debate comprises a total of eight speeches delivered by two three-member teams (the Proposition and the Opposition). Each speaker delivers an eight-minute speech; then both teams deliver a "reply speech" lasting four minutes, with the last word being reserved for the Proposition. Between the end of the first and the beginning of the last minute of an eight-minute speech, the opposing party may offer "points of information". The speaker may refuse these, but should take at least one or two points during his or her speech.

The style of debate was originally a compromise and not used apart from the championship. However, the style has since been embraced by many countries for their national competitions, including Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, Lithuania, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Wales.

The WSDC normally takes place over the course of ten days. Each national team competes in eight preliminary debates: four prepared debates (the motion having been announced a few weeks before the start of the tournament) and four impromptu debates (for which teams have one hour to prepare). Once the eight preliminary rounds have been completed, the 16 best teams compete in knock-out debates (known as the Octofinals) culminating in a Grand Final. For each debate, three judges (or more in later rounds) mark each debater on their content, style and strategy.

A notable difference between WSDC and the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships – the other major international competition of its type – is that WSDC's primary focus is on ranking each country's team as opposed to its individual participants.

Charter of the World Schools Debating Championships

The aims of the World Schools Debating Championships are:

In order to further these aims, all participating nations agree that:

Past championships

YearChampionsRunners-upSemi-finalistsQuarter-finalistsVenueBest Speaker
2024ScotlandBulgariaQatar & GreeceSouth Korea & Taiwan & Singapore & EnglandBelgrade, SerbiaJinjou Wang, Canada
2023United StatesCanadaMalaysia & ScotlandHong Kong & India & Sri Lanka & ZimbabweHanoi, VietnamAnnushka Agarwal, Canada
2022Hong KongChinaSingapore & Sri LankaIreland & Bangladesh & Malaysia & CanadaOnline Championship (organised by the Netherlands)Bowser Liu, China
2021CanadaHong KongPhilippines & SingaporeMalaysia & China & Pakistan & RomaniaOnline Championship (organised by Macau with assistance from Germany)Tobi Leung, Philippines
The 2020 online championship was held after the 2020 championship in Mexico was cancelled due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
2020Canada[2] Sri Lanka[3] Ireland[4] & SingaporeOnline Championship (organised by Mexico with assistance from Macau)Ivan Buckland, South Africa & Jenna Hong, Hong Kong
2019India[5] CanadaChina & EnglandBangkok, ThailandTejas Subramaniam, India
2018ChinaIndia[6] England & SingaporeZagreb, CroatiaDhananjay Ashok, India
2017Singapore[7] EnglandBali, Indonesia
2016England[8] [9] [10] CanadaStuttgart, Germany[11]
2015Singapore[12] CanadaSingapore
2014EnglandSouth AfricaCanada & IrelandBangkok, Thailand
2013Australia[13] SwazilandIreland & SingaporeAntalya, Turkey
2012ScotlandWales[14] England & PhilippinesCape Town, South Africa
2011Singapore[15] AustraliaIreland & ScotlandDundee, Scotland[16]
2010Canada[17] [18] EnglandSingapore & WalesDoha, Qatar
2009New Zealand[19] [20] EnglandAthens, Greece
2008England[21] New Zealand[22]
2007 Scotland[23] [24] SingaporeCanada & EnglandSeoul, South Korea
2006 Australia[25] Ireland[26] Canada & SingaporeCardiff, Wales
2005 AustraliaEnglandArgentina & PakistanCalgary, Canada
2004AustraliaEngland & GreeceStuttgart, Germany
2003Australia[27] Singapore[28] England & ScotlandLima, Peru
2002Ireland[29] AustraliaEngland & ScotlandSingapore
2001AustraliaScotlandSingapore & South Africa
2000AustraliaEnglandIsrael & New ZealandPittsburgh, United States
1999ScotlandEnglandAustralia & United StatesLondon, England
1998AustraliaScotlandNew Zealand & PeruJerusalem, Israel
1997AustraliaEnglandPakistan & SingaporeBermuda
1996EnglandPakistanScotland & SingaporeCanberra, Australia
1995New ZealandScotlandAustralia & EnglandCardiff, Wales
1994United StatesPakistanAustralia & ScotlandNew Zealand
1993EnglandScotlandMedicine Hat, Canada
1992New ZealandScotlandLondon, England
1991New Zealand AustraliaEdinburgh, Scotland
1990ScotlandAustraliaWinnipeg, Canada
1989not held
1988CanadaAustraliaAustralia

Future Championships

The 2025 Championship is due to be held in Panama City, Panama.The 2026 Championship bid process is underway.

Most successful nations

NationWinsRunner-ups
Australia95
England57
Scotland55
New Zealand41
Canada3*4
Singapore32
United States20
China11
Hong Kong11
India11
Ireland11
Pakistan02
South Africa02
Swaziland01
Wales01

* In addition to winning the World Schools Debating Championships three times, Canada also won the Online World Schools Debating Championships in 2020. (Sri Lanka was the runner-up in that event.)

By decade

ESL & EFL awards

Special awards are presented at each year's World Schools Debating Championships to the best-performing English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) teams. These awards are open to teams from nations where English is not an official national language. To be eligible for the EFL award, a team must be predominantly made-up of students who do not come from English-speaking homes and who do not attend schools where English is used as a medium of instruction. The ESL award is for teams predominantly composed of students who are not first-language English-speakers, but who attend schools where some or all of the teaching is in English.

The EFL award was instituted in 2005. Prior to that, there was just one award for teams from non-English-speaking countries. Before 2005, the WSDC rules stipulated that teams who reached the semi-finals or Grand Final of the championship were not eligible to receive the ESL award. After the EFL award was introduced, the rules were changed so that there was no restriction on teams reaching the semi-finals or Grand Final being able to receive the ESL or EFL award.

English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) Award Winners

YearESL Award Winners
2024Bulgaria
2023Malaysia
2022China
2021China
Online Championship in 2020
2020Sri Lanka[30]
2019India
2018China
2017Peru
2016Pakistan
2015Pakistan
2014Peru
2013Peru
2012Greece
2011South Korea
2010Slovenia
2009Greece
2008Greece
2007Pakistan
2006Pakistan
2005 Pakistan
2004Israel
2003Israel
2002Kuwait
2001Pakistan
2000Pakistan
1999Argentina
1998Argentina
1997Israel
1996Israel

English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) Award Winners

YearEFL Award Winners
2024Indonesia
2023Croatia
2022Lithuania
2021Romania[31]
Online Championship in 2020
2020Romania
2019Netherlands
2018Romania
2017Denmark
2016Denmark
2015Croatia
2014Netherlands
2013Indonesia
2012Lithuania
2011Netherlands
2010Netherlands
2009South Korea
2008Slovenia
2007Slovenia
2006South Korea
2005 Slovenia

Best New Team Award

In some years in which there have been a significant number of nations entering the championships for the first time, an award for the Best New Team has been given to the top-ranking team from one of these nations.

YearBest New Team
2024Bosnia and Herzegovina
2023France
2022Finland
2021North Macedonia
Online Championship in 2020
2020Brazil & Namibia
2019Oman
2018Northern Ireland
2017Vietnam
2016Rwanda
2015Bahrain
2014Macau
2013-
2012Swaziland[32]
2011Barbados
2010United Arab Emirates
2009Thailand

Best Speakers

The speaker tab is determined by debaters' performance in the 8 preliminary rounds. For a speaker to be eligible for the speaker tab, they must speak in a minimum of 4 out of the 8 debates. The average of a debater's speaker scores is used when ranking individual debaters.

In the online editions of the championship (2020, 2021, 2022), teams debated their preliminary rounds in two separate divisions which grouped nations together by timezone. In 2020, the top speakers of the two divisions were awarded separately. In both 2021 & 2022, the speaker tabs of the two divisions were merged to determine the best speakers in each category.

YearBest Overall SpeakerBest ESL SpeakerBest EFL Speaker
2024Jinjou Wang (Canada)Clement Tsao (China)Alicia Chen (China)
2023Annushka Agarwal (Canada)Hitishaa Goyal (India)Raphael Lamballe (China)
2022[33] Bowser Liu (China)Bowser Liu (China)Madeleine Tempelman (Netherlands) & Milda Gadliauskaite (Lithuania)
2021Robert Leung (Philippines)Jacquelynn Lin (China) Maibritt Henkel (Denmark)
2020Ivan Buckland (South Africa) & Jenna Hong (Hong Kong)Jane Sonamai (Wales) & Ananya Ganesh (India) Marilena Hadjicosta (Greece) & Rina Kajitani (Japan)
2019Tejas Subramaniam (India)Tejas Subramaniam (India)Sami Petersen (Denmark)
2018[34] Dhananjay Ashok (India) Dhananjay Ashok (India)Smaranda-Ioana Morosanu (Romania)
2017Kenza Wilks (England) Nicholas Kim (South Korea) Annika Høi (Denmark)
2016Eden Blair (Australia)Kishen Sivabalan (Malaysia)Clara Granborg Juul (Denmark)
2015Kate Dewey (South Africa)Kishen Sivabalan (Malaysia)Floris Holstege (Netherlands)
2014Will Cook (England)Nishanth Selvalingam (Malaysia)Regina Cara Riantoputra (Indonesia)
2013Bo Seo (Australia)Siddarth Srikanth (India)Carissa Tehputri (Indonesia)
2012Teoh Ren Jie (Singapore)Sun Young Hwang (South Korea)Chan Keun Kim (South Korea)

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Championship. World Schools Debate. World Schools Debate. 2021-02-28. World Schools Debate Championship. en-CA.
  2. https://globalnews.ca/news/7251118/canada-wins-world-schools-debating-championships-2020 Toronto teens part of Canadian team that won World Schools Debating Championships.
  3. http://www.colombopage.com/archive_20B/Aug03_1596431725CH.php Sri Lanka first runner-up in World Schools Debating Championship 2020.
  4. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/irish-team-reaches-semifinals-of-world-schools-debating-championship-1.4316464 Irish team reaches semifinals of World Schools Debating Championship.
  5. https://www.newindianexpress.com/good-news/2019/aug/02/india-win-world-school-debating-championships-for-first-timetejas-subramaniam-declared-best-speaker-2013194.html India win world school debating championships for first time, Tejas Subramaniam declared 'Best speaker in the world'
  6. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/indians-win-the-argument-school-students-win-silver-medal-in-world-debating-championship-in-croatia/story-0OYWOjQAWrHD9UlCk3DDON.html Indians win the argument: School students win silver medal in world debating championship in Croatia
  7. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/spore-students-win-world-debate-championship S'pore students win world debate championship.
  8. https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2016/07/29/england-are-good-at-something--our-teens-just-became-world-debate-champions/ England are good at something – Our teens just became World Debate Champions!
  9. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/aug/06/why-debating-still-matters Why debating still matters.
  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLTWdzxJUkw England clinches World Schools Debating title.
  11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00c2owSUKJg Teens descend on Germany for schools' debating championships.
  12. http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-wins-international-debating-competition Singapore wins international debating competition.
  13. https://www.pressreader.com/australia/tweed-daily-news/20130810/282939562931703 What's your view?
  14. http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/amys-winning-way-words-2040735 Amy's got a winning way with words.
  15. https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-courier-advertiser-perth-and-perthshire-edition/20110826/282467115594797 Teens debate victory.
  16. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-14573765 Pupils debating in world schools championship.
  17. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2010/02/19/canadian_teens_win_international_debating_championship.html Canadian teens win international debating championship.
  18. https://www.pressreader.com/canada/calgary-herald/20100219/285881614046855 Calgary debaters conquer the world.
  19. http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/nz-team-wins-world-school-debating-championship-2009021908 NZ team wins World School Debating Championship.
  20. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/1750404/NZ-wins-world-debating-champs NZ wins world debating champs.
  21. https://www.thejc.com/news/people/james-fox-and-ben-woolgar-are-crowned-world-debating-champions-1.5225 James Fox and Ben Woolgar are crowned world debating champions.
  22. https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-southland-times/20080916/281878704179295 Kiwi team second at debating.
  23. http://www.scotsman.com/news/scots-pupils-scoop-world-debating-cup-1-908694 Scots pupils scoop world debating cup.
  24. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12762735.Scots_pupils_are_world_champion_debaters/ Scots pupils are world champion debaters.
  25. http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/Id/47233 Aussies talk their way to world cup victory.
  26. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world-second-for-irish-debaters-1.1030124 World second for Irish debaters.
  27. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/18/1061059783054.html The world's best, and if you want to debate it, we'll win that as well.
  28. http://www.cccowe.org/content/en/pub/catw200309-20.html Debate team does S'pore proud in world contest.
  29. https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland-wins-world-schools-debate-contest-1.1048872 Ireland wins world schools debate contest.
  30. Web site: 2020-08-02. Sri Lanka named best ESL team as Canada wins World School Debating Championship 2020. 2020-08-03. EconomyNext.
  31. https://business-review.eu/education/the-national-team-of-romania-achieves-a-historic-performance-at-the-world-schools-debating-championships-222271 The National Team of Romania achieves a historic performance at the World Schools Debating Championships.
  32. http://www.times.co.sz/News/37406.html Swaziland shines in World Schools Debate.
  33. https://idebate.net/world-schools-debating-championship-2022~b1936/
  34. http://wsdc2018.com/results/