Debating and Public Speaking Competitions

The Arts Unit, which organises the competitions for NSW primary and secondary school students, also conducts training and development courses for staff and students. In 2008 all levels of the Premier's Debating Challenge are proudly supported by the Constitution Education Fund- Australia.

Open to teams of four students up to Year 12 from government schools state wide. This competition begins in Term 1 with the State Final on 8 August. This competition is supported by the English Speaking Union and the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Education and Social Work.

Open to teams of four students in Year 11 from government schools in metropolitan Sydney districts. This competition begins in Term 1, with the State Final on 8 September. Year 11 debating is sponsored by the Botanic Gardens Trust and includes a round of debates on environmental issues.

Open to teams of four students up to Year 10 from government schools in all regions. This competition begins in Term 2 with the State Final at The Art Gallery of NSW on 31 October.

Open to teams of four students up to Year 8 from government schools in all regions. This competition begins in Term 2 and culminates in a three day camp where winning Regional teams attend workshops and compete in a Round-Robin event. The camp is hosted by The Women's College in The University of Sydney, and runs from 26 to 28 November.

Open to teams of four students from Primary Schools throughout NSW. This competition begins in Term 2, with winning Regional teams attending a 3 day camp at Stanwell Tops from 2 to 5 November.

The Combined High Schools Debating Competition is open to outstanding senior debaters chosen from government secondary schools in metropolitan Sydney, Hunter/Central Coast and the South Coast. They compete in a series of debates against teams drawn from the Greater Public Schools, Combined Associated Schools and Archdale Representative Schools. Selection trials for the C.H.S team are held on 5 July, followed by five weeks of training and debates in early September.

The J.S.D.C is a representative debating competition designed to further encourage outstanding debaters in Years 9&10. The ten NSW Regions select a representative squad to compete at a camp hosted by The Women's College in The University of Sydney from 24 to 26 November.

The P.S.S.D.C is a representative debating competition organised to develop the skills of the state's best young debaters. The ten NSW Regions select a representative squad of students from Years 5 or 6 to compete at a camp held in Collaroy from 26 to 29 October.

Open to all students in NSW aged 15-18 years, the Plain English Speaking Award is a competition designed to encourage exactly that: the use of clear and effective spoken English. The Award is sponsored by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australia Britain Society, the English Speaking Union and B.B.M. Ltd. The State Final is held at the NSW Teachers Federation Conference Centre on 1 August.

This competition is open to all students in NSW aged 12-14, with the aim of encouraging the speaker's effective use of language to convey a message or a point of view. The State Final is held at the Art Gallery of NSW on 24 October.

This competition aims to heighten awareness of multicultural issues among primary school students at the same time as developing their public speaking skills. Students give two speeches - one prepared and one impromptu - on multicultural issues. The competition has two divisions: Years 3&4 and Years 5&6. The Years 3&4 State Final is held at the NSW Teachers Federation Conference Centre on 7 November. The Years 5&6 State Final is held at the ABC Centre on 12 November. 

Workshops for primary school staff and students are held at various venues during the year - often in Term 2. For secondary school debaters, workshops are given at a number of country venues by a 'Flying Squad' of experienced adjudicators and workshop leaders.

For more information on any of these programs, please contact the State Debating & Public Speaking Coordinator on 8512 1172 or visit our website at www.pau.nsw.edu.au.