Seventeen BCS students from Years 7 to 12 took part, along with ten students from Nowra and Narooma High Schools. Throughout a very full day - it ran from 9.30am to 4.30pm - the tutors worked closely with the teams both in preparing their topics and during the debates, imparting valuable organisational and thinking experience. To conclude, they gave a demonstration debate as an inspirational model for the students.

The success of the day was expressed by Lachlan Reilly, a teacher from Narooma High, in an email thanking BCS for organising the day: ‘All our kids absolutely loved it and learned so much from the experience. Thank you for including our school, the kids had so much fun and were buzzing in the car on the way home.’

All the students benefitted from the fact that the tutors, wanting to help regional public schools, charged a reduced fee for their work. Braidwood School was doubly fortunate because a generous grant from the Braidwood Bendigo Community Bank, matched by the School’s P&C, helped fund its students’ participation. The school community is very appreciative that the Bendigo Bank grant will continue to enable debating and public speaking throughout the year.