25.11.2011
Two debating events featuring young people will take place in Parliament over the next week.
The fifth annual St Andrew’s Day Debate will take place in the Scottish Parliament on Monday 28 November.
Held in partnership with the Scottish Government and the English Speaking Union, this unique event brings together students from schools and universities across Scotland. The student teams pair up to compete in heats in the hope of making it through to the final to be held in the Parliament’s debating chamber.
Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer, Tricia Marwick MSP said: “The Scottish Parliament is rightfully considered the home of lively debate and I hope that being in the Debating Chamber spurs on the finalists in their efforts.
“I am looking forward to the final debate and would encourage members of the public to come along as well, as previous years have shown that these young people deserve to have as wide an audience as possible.”
The finals will take place in Parliament’s debating chamber from 4.30pm on Monday 28 November. Members of the public are welcome to attend. Winners will be announced at completion of events. There will be five prizes awarded for:
- Best university speaker of the day
- Best school speaker of the day
- Best contribution from the floor
- Runner-up 2011 St Andrew’s Day debating championship
- Winner 2011 St Andrew’s Day debating championship
The second debating event, taking place on St Andrew’s Day (Wednesday 30 November) itself, is the final of the BT Scotland National Schools Gaelic Debate.
Twenty teams from 19 secondary schools throughout Scotland participated in the initial stages at An Lanntair in Stornoway and the semi-finals take place on Tuesday 29 November in Edinburgh. The semi-finals will see The Nicolson Institute, Stornoway meet Gairloch High School, Wester Ross; and James Gillespie High School, Edinburgh meet Millburn Academy, Inverness.
Background
St Andrew’s Day debate teams will debate motions covering a range of topical and current issues. The following universities and schools will take part:
Universities
- Aberdeen
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow
- Heriot-Watt
- St Andrews
- Strathclyde
Schools
- High School of Dundee (Dundee City West)
- Oban High School (Argyll & Bute)
- Linlithgow Academy (Linlithgow)
- Dunblane High School (Clackmannanshire and Dunblane)
- Craigmount High School (Edinburgh Western)
- Earlston High School (Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale)
- George Watson's College (Edinburgh Southern)
- Stewart's Melville (Edinburgh Central)
- Queensferry High School (Edinburgh Western)
- Douglas Academy (Clydebank and Milngavie)
- Bearsden Academy (Clydebank & Milngavie)
- Mearns Castle High School (Eastwood)
- St. Ninian's High School (Strathkelvin & Bearsden)
- Uddingston Grammar School (Uddingston & Bellshill)
- Millburn Academy (Inverness & Nairn)
- Robert Gordon's College (Aberdeen Central)
- Castle Douglas High School (Galloway and West Dumfries)
- St. Joseph's Academy, Dumfries (Dumfriesshire)
- Loudoun Academy (Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley)
Other St Andrew’s Day events taking place over the weekend include family events on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 November, in conjunction with the Glasgow Science Centre.
The topic matter for the Gaelic Schools Debate Final will be: Tha thìde aig Alba ìomhaigh ùr a shireadh an àite seann eachdraidh, pìobaireachd agus tartain [It is time for Scotland to get a new image, away from history, bagpipes and tartan].