Concern Debating

Concern Debating

Debating allows our students to become articulate and dynamic speakers. It gives them the chance to think about and discuss a wide variety of issues. Students develop public speaking skills, increase confidence, develop research skills and helps foster team building. Our Junior Cycle students take part in an in-school debating competition each year, while the senior debating teams enter public competitions including the Concern debating competition. The Concern Debating Programme gives students the opportunity to learn skills in research, critical thinking, public speaking and debate, while tackling some of the most important issues facing the world today.

 

Róisín Ní Dhomhnaill

I started doing public speaking when I was in Transition Year and I found it to be really enjoyable but it actually benefitted me in a lot of ways also. Myself and my public speaking team participated in and won the Cork Mental Health public speaking competition in 5th year and it helped me a lot while studying for my English Leaving Cert exam, particularly paper one. I also found it gave me a lot more confidence because I really had to push myself to be able to address an audience and it presented me with lots of opportunities, such as being a guest speaker at a two day Cork Mental health event with my team. In 6th year I participated in the Concern Debating competition, we had to research a lot different and interesting topics, for example religious freedom and women’s rights, and then debate these topics with other schools. A lot of this was quite eye opening and definitely broadened my horizons. Overall I would absolutely recommend Public Speaking or Debating to anyone, it improves your standard of English, it allows you to look at topics you might not cover in school and it presents you with some great opportunities!