Students triumph in regional debating competition

March 17, 2023

A talented team of Sixth Form students at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools triumphed in the regional finals of a European Youth Parliament UK (EYPUK) debating competition.
Year 12 students Nell, Hannah, Liv, Anya, Charlie, Sam, Mila and Amelia joined forces to win the South Wales Regional section, alongside a team from Cardiff Sixth Form College.
The Monmouth students will now take part in the national finals in September.
The eight students travelled to Cardiff with Ms Kate Bourne, teacher of English and Head of Year 9 at Monmouth School for Girls, where they shone.
As part of the Committee on Gender Quality and Female Rights (FEMM), the Monmouth students had to oppose a logical argument against creating a healthy and supportive environment regardless of what gender people choose to identify as.
Naturally, the Monmouth students found this proposition difficult to debate against. However, they still managed to succeed in blocking the resolution with the strength and cohesion of their argument.
In the second debate, the Monmouth students made their own proposal in which they tackled the issues of drink spiking in the UK. They asked whether the government should do anything to combat the problem. The Sixth Form students submitted a resolution; and outlined the work that businesses and the state could enforce.
The Monmouth students’ resolution was passed, gaining overwhelming support from all those involved in the debate and crowning a memorable and successful day.