We at ESU Scotland are very excited at being given the opportunity to host the next World Members’ Conference in Edinburgh in September 2008.

 www.esuworld2008.org
WORLD SCHOOLS COMPETITION
The World Schools Debating Championships is an annual English-language debating tournament for high school-level teams representing different countries.

In recent years, the Championships have involved teams from around 35 nations each year. Each team has 5 members and the tournament brings together the best high school debaters in the world.

Scotland has been represented in every World Schools Debating Championships since their inception in 1998. Scotland is one of only three nations to have won the championships on three occasions.

At the 2007 tournament, held in Seoul, South Korea, Team Scotland won the World Championships defeating Singapore in the final. This truly is a fantastic achievement for all involved. The victory was thoroughly deserved and received a lot of media recognition.

Alex Salmond, the First Minister of Scotland, said of the victory: ‘Congratulations to the Scottish Schools Debating Team on a fantastic victory. It shows that having a guid Scots tongue can lead to success on the world stage’.

The team for the 2008 World Championships was selected in March 2008. The team is:
  • Joanna Farmer – Robert Gordon’s College
  • Natalie Smith – Aberdeen Grammar School
  • Rachel Watson – Aberdeen Grammar School
  • Sandy Jackson – Morrison’s Academy
  • Lauren Pringle – The High School of Dundee
  • George Molyneaux – Coach
  • Irene McGrath – Team Manager

The 2008 tournament will be held in Washington, D.C. and the 2009 tournament will be held in Athens.

Videos of the Scotland team performing at the World Schools Debating Championship in Seoul, South Korea:
Round 8 (Scotland vs Pakistan) (video in new window)
Semi (Scotland vs England) (video in new window)

ESU Scotland is one of the principal sponsors of the Scotland Team and is proud of it’s ongoing association with the team. If you would like further information about the WSDC team or about how to apply to become a member, please contact Rob Marrs.

© ESU Scotland 2008. All rights reserved