The Bundaberg Interschool Debating Competition concluded late in Term 2 and Shalom had two teams compete in the final, doing a wonderful job.

In the Year 9 Division a mixed team of Year 7s and 9s, two of whom stepped up at the last minute, presented the affirmative on the topic: There should be a Universal Basic Income.  Hugh M (7), Jessica H (7) and Zara T (9) did an excellent job of their presentations and were ably assisted by Charlotte J (10) who helped to write speeches for the team. Unfortunately, they were defeated by Bundaberg Christian College in a close competition. Jaslyn P (12) and Callum M (11) acted as Chairperson and Timekeeper, ensuring the debate ran smoothly.

Next door in the Year 10 Division a mixed year-level team of Asha D (10), Desilva D (9) and Torah S (8) beat the St Luke’s Year 10 team to bring home the trophy. They were the negative on the same topic (There should be a Universal Basic Income) and did a particularly good job of demolishing the opposition’s argument thanks to a well thought out model and effective and quick-thinking rebuttal.

All the students should be very proud of their efforts. They had a great competition across the term, and everyone improved their skills in writing, presenting and rebutting.

The competition will be back in 2025. In the meantime, Shalom Debate Club will start meetings again in Week 2.

The winning team with their trophy!

Mrs Patricia Allen
Dean of Senior School 
allenp@shalomcollege.com