KUCHING – After four days of debating, Lodge International School and SM Lodge swept the senior and junior championship titles respectively in the fifth World Schools Debating Championship organised by Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, recently.
The team of Kimberly Lo, Rebekah Dawn Ba’o Ritchie and Serena Chew from Lodge International School took home the championship trophy in the senior category after defeating SMK Green Road over the motion This House Believes that the 1st World is serious about protecting the environment, it should pay for sustainable development programs in the 3rd World.
Ritchie scored a hat trick when she also walked away with the Best Debater Award in the Final and Best Overall Debater of the Championship.
SMK Green Road’s team of Arlene Teo Ee Lin, David John Au Kerk Wui and Samuel Sii Siaw Yik were named runners up.
In the junior category, SM Lodge and SMK Green Road debated on the motion This House would ban reality TV. Aaron Lim Li Peng, Oliver Sim Tern Shen and Vanessa Chua Ker Ying of SM Lodge proved the better team and were awarded the champions trophy while SMK Green Road collected the runner up title.
SM Lodge’s Aaron Lim Li Peng was adjudged best debater in this category.
Meanwhile, SMK Kuching High, participating in the debate for the first time, won four out of five preliminary rounds to take home the Best New Team award.
Emmeline Chiew Shun Yi of SMK St Teresa was Best English Speaker in the senior category while Dayna Hazime of Tunku Putra School took the award in the junior category.
A total of 44 teams from 16 schools took part in the four-day championship which was held from on 26 to 29 April, 2010.
Chief adjudicator Dr Sucharit Pongprakyon, who himself had debated and adjudicated at regional and international levels, at his closing speech said he was impressed with the quality of the championship and commended all involved in organising, adjudicating and participating in the event.
Sucharit hoped that Swinburne Sarawak will continue to organise the championship so as to provide an avenue for secondary school students to participate in English debates.
“I hope that the championship could be opened to schools outside Kuching, maybe schools from Sabah and West Malaysia,” he said.
Organised by the Debaters Club of Swinburne Sarawak, the championship was to encourage students of secondary schools to debate in English and hone their oral and communication skills, reasoning and critical thinking.
The World Schools Debating style is designed in such a way that motions are given to debaters only 30 minutes before teams are pitted against one another.
Also present to give away the awards were Su Hiong Ai, Head of the Evaluation and Examination Sector of the state education department and Professor Helmut Lueckenhausen, the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Swinburne Sarawak.