The Schools’ Competition is an inter-school debating competition held each year from May to September (see Calendar). There are five different venues and each Primary or Secondary School team that enters debates approximately every three weeks at a designated venue as per the draw. Topics for debates are wide and varied. Secondary School teams contest a finals series which is held at the end of Term 3.
Teams and Divisions
Students enter as teams of three. Many teams choose to have an extra one or two team members to allow for student illness and other unforeseen commitments.
The competition is divided into six divisions:
- Year 5
- Year 6/7
- Year 8
- Year 9
- Year 10
- Senior: Combined Years 11 and 12
Rounds and Times of Debates
Debates are held approximately every three weeks during Terms 2 and 3. Debates begin from 6:40pm. Times and specific details of debates are available on the draw page.
Number of debates: Each team has five debates, except Senior and Open divisions which have four debates.
Finals: There is a finals’ series for Year 6/7 and all secondary school divisions.
Venues
Debating SA is grateful to our dedicated host schools meaning that debaters only debate at a single venue for the preliminary rounds. Our host schools are:
| Venue | Divisions | Evening Debates held |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide High School | Year 6/7, Year 10 and Senior (Year 11/12) | Wednesday |
| Grange Schools | Year 5 and Year 6/7 | Thursday |
| Nazareth Catholic College | Year 6/7, Year 8 and Year 9 | Thursday |
| Pembroke School | Year 6/7, Year 8 and Year 9 | Tuesday |
| Pulteney Grammar School | Year 5 and Year 6/7 | Tuesday |
The location and directions to the host schools can be viewed on the Venues page.
Competition Rules, Protocols and Resources
The competition is governed by the rules and procedures outlined in the Standard Operating Procedures and The Official Debating Manual. There are also a range of helpful resources available for use.