Schools take part in debate c'ships

Schools take part in debate c'ships

JAKARTA: The 2003 National School Debating Championships began on
Friday with 32 teams from 19 provinces.

Jointly organized by the Ministry of National Education and
the Association for Critical Thinking, this is the biggest
competition of its kind ever held in Indonesia.

The competition will feature teams of three trying to outwit
one another in parliamentary-style debates, with one team
defending a motion and the other attacking it.

English will be the language of the competition. Anything goes
as far as the topics are concerned, which will be chosen by the
organizers.

The competition will reach its climax with the final at the
Hotel Bidakara in South Jakarta on Monday evening.

Then on Wednesday, 24 of the best speakers from the event will
square off once more for the right to represent Indonesia at the
World Championships to be held in Peru later this year.

Minister of National Education Malik Fadjar, who met with the
participants at his office on Thursday, "believes that debating
and the proliferation of its values is quintessential to forming
the future leaders of Indonesia", according to a statement
released by the organizers.--JP