Debating and Public Speaking are competitive and invaluable activities that give our students critical thinking and teamwork skills for life. At Kirrawee, we offer our students the opportunity to speak and debate in a range of competitions against public, selective and independent schools. Our students are able to gain experiences with different coaching methods, both within school and externally, which develop their awareness of how to rationally and critically discuss wider world issues.
Due to the overwhelming student interest in debating (over 60 students), and in Public Speaking (over 30 students), we have now entered a range of competitions:
Premier’s Debating Competition
- Premiers Public Speaking Competition
- Sutherland Shire Debating Competition
- Sutherland Shire Public Speaking Competition.
These local and state-wide competitions allow students from all grades to develop their skills of persuasion, develop their confidence, and engage with nuanced ideas, whilst competing against other schools.
Historically, Kirrawee High School has a strong record in its debating and public speaking, having developed some formidable teams and speakers in the past. We have previously been runners-up in the Premiers competition for debating as state finalists, and have won the Sutherland Shire competitions on numerous occasions, in both junior and senior divisions.