On Saturday 20th February Ayesha A and Frances DT, Year 13, took part in another impromptu British Parliamentary debate, this time at the Oxford regionals of the Cambridge Schools' Debating Competition 2021. The full day of competition was one of the toughest the girls have faced with 40 teams from independent schools local to Oxford.
The motion of the first round was THW prevent international aid charities in using sensational or overly emotive images of people in extreme suffering as part of their fundraising or campaigns. The girls presented a strong case as government, talking about the principal and practical arguments. Their engagement was also particularly strong as they made strong POIs and questioned the opposition at every front.
The second motion read THBT schools should teach children to be sceptical of parental authority. This round was especially tough, but the girls presented strong arguments and analysed the specifics of the motion to strengthen their case. Again, the engagement in this debate was excellent with ideas constantly moving across the table.
The third round had the motion THW allow people to opt into medical drugs that have not yet passed clinical trials. Ayesha and Frances had good knowledge of the topic which helped them bring medical ethics and practical points into their arguments. They demonstrated a strong understanding and weighed up the points of clash throughout the debate excellently.
The final motion of the long day was THB sporting organisations such as FIFA should allow the use of performance enhancing pharmaceuticals. This motion proved a difficult one but nevertheless the girls were able to look at the bigger picture and again bring ethics and practicality into their arguments and introduce a mechanism that would be effective in bringing about the impacts they analysed.
The competition was very tough with all the teams speaking very well and with skill. In the end, despite thinking the other teams had outcompeted them, Ayesha and Frances qualified out of many teams for the Cambridge finals along with three teams from Eton College. Very well done girls!