Congratulations King's Arcade!

On a stormy Sunday night, 13^th of November the Grand Final of the I Can Read National Debate was held at the Braddell Heights Community Club. As everyone gathered into the mini-theatre, there was a sense of excitement and electricity in the air. The anticipation of the event was intense. After three months of vigorous debating, the teams involved were eager to finish off on a high note and impress.

The topic of discussion (motion) for the night was ‘Kids learn more in the playground than in the classroom.’ The first debate of the evening was for 3^rd and 4^th placing- Woodlands(Proposition) versus Yishun (Opposition). Woodlands started off the debate nervously, as they tried to grasp and define the meaning of the word ‘playground.’ But it was clear that their theme would focus on the benefits of experiencing nature and that a classroom setting could not provide that type of exposure. The Opposition Yishun gave a good introduction, stating that, yes, kids can learn in the playground, but learn more in a controlled environment, ie, the classroom. The judges expressed their approval of this debate and pointed out that the two teams were able to share from their own personal experiences and not get bogged down with statistics. They also liked the fact that each team made time to rebut. But the deciding factor for third and fourth places would be the length of the speeches, in which Woodlands emerged as the victors. Congratulations to both teams for a fine effort and to Woodlands in gaining third place!

Finally the stage was set for the Grand Final. As the two teams walked to the platform, the audience began to cheer. This was the debate everyone had been waiting for: Whitesands (Proposition) versus King's Arcade (Oppositon). From the first speaker of the Proposition to the first speaker of the Opposition, everyone sat in amazement… as they were hearing a new and higher level of debating that they hadn’t heard previously. Whitesands emphasised the need for practical experience in four particular areas that the classroom could not provide: 1. Social interaction, 2. Decision making, 3. Expression of movement and 4. Language acquisition. King's Arcade rebutted by stating that learning in a controlled environment is much better than learning in a random one. Both teams also used the new character building policy that would be introduced into the schools by the new President to their advantage. But it was the final speaker from King's Arcade who would give the performance of the night. He concluded with a quote, saying; “I’d rather have kids learning in a classroom context than having them acting like monkeys, swinging on bars.” With bated breath, everyone waited to hear what the judges would say and of course… the result. The judges agreed that the level of debating had improved tremendously over the three months leading up to the Grand Final, and that the Grand Final was exceptional in all areas. The winner of the I Can Read National Debate Challenge 2011, is… KING'S ARCADE!

Congratulations to King's Arcade! A fantastic performance from a team undefeated this year. Well done to Whitesands too! Tremendous improvement coming into the Final. A big thank you also to the Debate Association of Singapore. Their input and contribution have been invaluable.

We look forward to the momentum flowing into 2012 for the next debate. Well done everyone involved!