Last Friday, Braidwood Central’s Year 12 debating team of Isobel Merriman, Jay Davies, Sebastian Dyson and Kiera Mullan travelled to Wollongong to take part in the Regional Finals of the Premiers Debating Challenge for the fourth year in a row. This, in itself, is a considerable achievement for the students of a small rural school.
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In these debates the teams have an hour to prepare a previously unseen topic. For the Semi-Final against Vincentia High (a school with 1200 students) Braidwood argued and won the case that voting should be voluntary. After a brief break they then prepared for the final against Smith’s Hill High (a selective school of 800 students). Braidwood had to argue the case that Australia should stop processing refugees off-shore at Manus Island.
For the previous three years the BCS team has lost to same Smith’s Hill team in the final for their age group, but each time they have grown in experience and skill. This year, their last of school debating, they were at last successful, and as a regional champion will now compete in the State Finals in Sydney.