SAID Singapore Debating Report 2007

Dear all,

SAID was involved in 4 local debate education programmes in Singapore in the months of March and April 2007. Below are the details of these 4 Singaporean events:

Singapore Ministry of Education Debate Across the Curriculum (DAC) Workshop

Jointly organised by the Singapore Ministry of Education and SAID on 12th and 13th March 2007, the first-ever Debate Across the Curriculum (DAC) Workshop was attended by 70 teachers in Singapore. This pedagogy workshop was conducted by two world renowned debate educators, Dr Charles "Tuna" Snider, from Vermont University, USA, and Ms Bojana Skrt, from ZIP-Pro et Contra, Institute of Culture of Dialogue, Slovenia.

Activity

1. Giving a Public Speaking Workshop at Methodist Girls' School to 200 students on 20th March 2007;

2. Debating and Adjudicating in an Exhibition Debate on "Banning of cosmetic surgery" against debaters from Temasek Secondary School on 20rh March 2007.

3. Debating and Adjudicating in an Exhibition Debate on "Negotiating with terrorists" at Raffles Junior College against the Singapore World Schools National Team on 21st March 2007.

4. Debating and Adjudicating in an Exhibition Debate on "Single-gender schools" against debaters from Chestnut Drive Secondary School on 21st March 2007; and

5. A Meet & Teach Session with 4 SAID under-10 kids at Trellis Towers,Toa Payoh, on 21st March 2007.

SAID-Kyushu University Debate Education Programme

5 Japanese debaters from Kyushu University Debating Section, Akira. Naomi, Hiroki, Tomi and Rumiko, were in Singapore for 14 days, from 20th March to 2nd April 2007, to better their English and to improve their debating skills. They are the juniors of Hiroshi and Masaki who came to take similar debate lessons from Loke Wing Fatt last year.

Akira. Naomi, Hiroki, Tomi and Rumiko were literally "home tutored" daily at Loke Wing Fatt's home on how they could be better thinkers and debaters. They were also given daily opportunities to engage in joint debate training sessions with local debaters ranging from primary and secondary school students to experienced adult debaters affiliated with SAID.

SAID Primary School Debate Initiative

At the instigation of Mrs Lor Bee Kheng, an enterprising Singaporean mother who found SAID on the Internet and requested for our help to teach her son debating, Loke Wing Fatt initiated a primary school debate programme for boys who are below the age of 10 years at a private home at Trellis Towers, Toa Payoh. 3 boys are now in the programme, which commenced on 1st March 2007. We meet once a week for 1.5 hours of debate classes.

Methodist Girls' School (MGS) Public Speaking Contest

The Methodist Girls' School Public Speaking Contest was held on 19th April 2007. Founded in 1887, Methodist Girls' School is a prestigious, centenarian girls' school famed for producing strong-minded and well-rounded individuals in Singapore. At the event, 12 contestants aged between 13 to 16 competed, in accordance to the Plain English Speaking Association (PESA) rules and regulations. Women issues dominated the themes of most speakers. In the end, a pair of sisters, Ms Jessica Lee and Ms Hannah Lee, won the top honours fro the Lower and Upper Secondary School Categories.


Regards,
Rashedul Hasan Stalin

Source: http://said.d2dsg.com/view.php?sub=main&page=index