Oldham students shine in international debate showpiece

In an exciting first, students from Oldham joined forces to compete in an international debating event, bringing together teams from both the UK and the USA.

This innovative collaboration between the UK's Ideas Matter and the USA's Bill of Rights Institute led to a day of impassioned debates that tested students' abilities to think critically, articulate arguments, and defend their positions on some of today's most pressing issues.

Representing Oldham, an all-girl team comprising students from Crompton House and Hulme Grammar worked together to take on peers from across the UK and the United States.

Employing the signature format honed under the Debating Matters umbrella, participants debated four contemporary and thought-provoking topics:

· Humanity should fear advances in AI

· Tech companies should act to stop online misinformation

· Smartphones should be banned in the classroom

· Cancel Culture is a threat to freedom of speech

Each debate followed a rigorous structure, with students delivering three-minute opening statements before being challenged by a panel of expert judges from academia, journalism, and law. A

udience questions further pushed debaters to think on their feet, and the event concluded with one-minute closing speeches and detailed feedback from the judges.

True to the high standards of the competition, participants had completed in-depth research beforehand, enabling them to present well-reasoned and articulate arguments.

The Oldham Schools' team performed exceptionally, progressing to the semi-finals after a hard-fought round against Oakwood Park Grammar from Kent.

Despite defeating Oakwood earlier in the competition, the judges made a split decision to send them through to the final, where they faced the American team, The Panthers, from Florida.

Ultimately, The Panthers emerged as the overall winners.

Among the standout performers of the day was Pashtana, one of the Oldham students, who was singled out for her insightful contributions - both in her debate and through her incisive questioning in other rounds.

The event, which took place over six hours, was held simultaneously across different time zones, starting at 2pm UK time and 9am Eastern Daylight time.

The Oldham team was particularly grateful to Oldham Council for providing access to the prestigious Lees Suite within the Civic Centre, offering an excellent venue for this international event.

Dr Chris Millington, Assistant Principal (Outreach) at Hulme Grammar, praised the students for their dedication and performance, saying: “This competition is a fantastic opportunity for our students to engage in critical thinking, public speaking, and teamwork.

"The Oldham Schools’ team demonstrated incredible skill and resilience, and we are immensely proud of their achievements on an international stage.”

The team extended its sincere thanks to Mo Lovatt and the entire team at Ideas Matter for making this unique experience possible.

They are now looking forward to competing again as part of the North West final in Blackburn later this year.

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