National Schools Debates
We invite all schools with a keen interest in debating – but in this instance from a scientific stance – to enter the 2016 SAASTA National Schools Debates Competition.
The Competition consists of three phases:
- One workshop in each province;
- Nine Provincial Competitions (one per province); and
- The National Finals in Johannesburg.
The primary objective of the National Schools Debates is to stimulate interest among learners to study towards careers in science, engineering and technology (SET) through researching and debating high-level topics. Furthermore, the competition aims to advance the public awareness, appreciation and engagement of Science, Technology and Engineering in South Africa.
“This project is a contribution to SAASTA’s responsibility of ensuring that science becomes part of our everyday dialogue. By exposing these young people to scientific information, we are empowering them with information that will enable them to make informed decisions on science issues,” says Beverley Damonse, Group Executive: Science Advancement for the NRF.
The competition is implemented by our service provider, Word Wise Media. It is open to learners from grades 9 to 11. The project commences with Provincial Workshops in all nine provinces followed by Provincial Competitions where 50 learners from various schools compete to determine the school that will represent the province at the National Competition.
The SAASTA National Schools Debates runs from March to October each year.
