The strong culture in debating at Braidwood Central School was shared last Thursday with students and teachers from Narooma and Queanbeyan High Schools. The visitors, and fifteen BCS students from Years 6 to 11, took part in a special intensive training day with James Smith from Masters Academy in Sydney, along with recent BCS graduate, Jay Davies, and four other tutors from the University of Wollongong and the Australian National University.
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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. Towards the end of the afternoon they ran workshops covering aspects of critical thinking they had observed needed further development.
All the students benefited 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, and augmented by Dr Brad Horwood, helped fund our students’ participation. The school community is very appreciative that these grants will continue to valuably enable debating and public speaking throughout the year.