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Integrated Colleges Debating Competition

The competition run by QUB Literific in collaboration with the IEF will be hosted on Wednesday 6 November at Queen’s University Belfast.

November 6, 2024

Events

The Integrated Colleges Debating Competition, held in collaboration with QUB Literific and the Integrated Education Fund (IEF), brings Integrated schools together in a friendly competition to debate and discuss contemporary issues. Participants will be able to develop their public speaking as well as critical thinking skills, while also interacting with their fellow peers to discuss important issues.

The competition hopes to build a debating community amongst Integrated schools, who have often been underrepresented in Northern Irish debating, and build up its participants so that they can both have an important opportunity to discuss important issues and develop skills for later life.

The competition will be hosted on Wednesday 6 November at Queen’s University Belfast.  The competition will take place in the main Queen’s building (BT7 1NN) with rounds held in the Peter Froggatt Centre.

Each school will be required to send up to two teams of two students, aged 16-18. The number of teams is subject to change based on availability. These teams will then be asked to debate motions in a standard 4v4 debate structure against other teams before being judged for their performance and the top performing teams moving on to the final.

Debates will follow the usual structure of a Literific debate competition: 5 minutes speeches with the first and last minutes protected time, Points of Information being allowed only by other competitors and no foul language.

Debates will be held on a variety of topics ranging from literature and history to contemporary political issues. Teams will be judged according to their teamwork and understanding of the subject matter, as well as their presentation and structure of arguments. In later rounds, their ability to think critically at speed on motions that have been given at short notice will also be assessed.

Students will be asked to arrive for registration at Queen’s between 9:30-9:45 to ensure that the competition begins promptly. The tournament itself will begin around 10am and be finished by 3.30pm.

If you are interested in your College taking part, or have any questions about the competition, please email president@literific.org

Support Available

Literific have the following materials available:

  • Handouts that go over how to run your own debates, how to write speeches, what makes a good or bad argument and how to research your motions ahead of time- see handbook below
  • Bespoke workshops ending in a mock debate amongst students to familiarise them with the format- depending on availability
  • Testimony, tips and tricks, and experiences of our members who have taken part in debating competitions across Ireland and the UK

If you would be interested in any of the resources mentioned above, please email president@literific.org.

Timetable

09.30-09.45   Registration.

09.45-10.00   Welcome. Rules and marking criteria for debates explained.

10.05-10.45   Round 1 Debate (motion in advance). 

10.45-10.55   Round 1 judged.

10.55-11.15   Centralise results. 

Announce Round 2. 

Break. 

11.20-12.15   Round 2 Debate (15 min prep).

12.15-12.25   Round 2 judged.

12.25-13.10   Centralise results. 

Announce Round 3.

Lunch.

13.15-14.10   Round 3 Debate (15 min prep).

14.10-14.20   Round 3 judged.

14.20-14.30   Centralise results.   

Announce finalists and motion.

14.30-15.25   Final Debate (15 min prep).

15.25-15.35   Final Debate judged.

Winners announced.

QUB Literific

The Queens University Literary and Scientific Society (Literific) are the premier debating society in Northern Ireland. Having been established in in 1850 a year after Queen’s University’s founding, the oldest student society has found itself at the forefront of promoting positive dialogue and discussing the important matters that have defined present and past generations. We engage in debates across Ireland, including fielding many successful teams in the prestigious Irish Times Debating Competition. The Literific is an organisation dedicating to building the public speaking capacity of young people across Northern Ireland by hosting tailored workshops with schools, an annual Schools Competition, and giving them a voice to discuss the most pressing issues of our time.

Download

QUB Literific Schools Debating Handbook - resource for reference.

pdf • 4 MB

Download

QUB Literific Consent Form

docx • 1 MB