More Than 180 Students Showcase Public Speaking and Critical Thinking Skills at Inaugural National Debate Competition

         185 students from 28 secondary schools and pre-university institutions participated in the inaugural National Schools Chinese Debate Competition, and 24 finalists were recognised at the awards ceremony held today. Guest-of-Honour Ms Jasmin Lau, Minister of State for Education and Chairperson of the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL), delivered a pre-recorded speech at the event.

2. Jointly organised by the CPCLL and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Chinese Debate Team, the competition aims to boost students' public speaking and debating skills, develop their critical thinking skills and strengthen their confidence in using the Chinese language.

3. A total of 24 secondary school teams and 7 pre-university teams vied for the top spots in the competition. Nan Hua High School and Raffles Girls' School emerged as the finalists for the secondary school division, while Dunman High School and River Valley High School were the finalists for the pre-university division. Please see Annex for the list of participating schools and finalists.

4. In the lead-up to the competition, the student participants attended a workshop conducted by the NUS Chinese Debate Team. The workshop covered the fundamentals of debate, ranging from critical thinking, argument building to questioning techniques and debate strategies.

5. For more information, please visit www.cpcll.sg.