appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

John Brennan

Joyce Lo, one of the debate team moderators at Maryknoll Convent School, finds it easy to pick out some of the qualities that have made her group of debaters successful.
“They love English and are passionate about debating,” she said. “They particularly enjoy answering ‘point of information’ (POI) contributions, which add excitement and spontaneity to a debate.”
The team’s skill and enthusiasm enabled them to hold off the challenge of Good Hope School in the Hong Kong Secondary Schools Debating Competition Enhanced Format Grand Final, held in May.
Maryknoll Form 4 students Tiffany Fung and Rachel Tong were part of the winning team. Though modest about the achievement, Fung couldn’t hide her delight at the win.
“I think we did well in the final match and we had a lot of fun answering the POIs,” Fung said. “When we were announced as winners, we were, of course, absolutely thrilled. I was really grateful to the teachers for their guidance and support, and I remember that I couldn’t wait to tell my family about the win.”
Tong echoed her teammate’s thoughts, and added: “I felt very grateful for the opportunity to work with different people and to push my boundaries.”

Maryknoll’s debate team ups its game with exceptional skills and enthusiasm.
Neither Fung nor Tong previously had a long track record in competitive debate.
“I started becoming more seriously involved in Form 3,” Tong said. “Now, my passion for debating has become palpable.”
Fung joined the team in the same school year and, though she soon began entering tournaments, she had other goals besides winning. “I wanted to develop my critical thinking skills and become more eloquent,” she said.
Their example, and that of the other team members, has helped inspire the school’s next generation of young debaters, according to Lo. “They are now very keen on taking part in various debating tournaments,” she noted. 
These juniors can also learn from Tong and Fung’s ability to analyse their own strengths and weaknesses.
Tong said she has developed a more logical mindset that helps her tackle challenges - whether these occur in debates or in the real world. “If the path ahead of me becomes shrouded with mist, having a clear mind enables me to know what I want and helps me stay on track.”
When it comes to debating, however, she feels she still needs to work on categorising her arguments and expanding her bank of examples.
While Fung believes she’s learned a lot about structuring arguments and devising strong rebuttals, she has also, honed her public speaking ability.
“I would like to further develop my case-building skills, though,” she added.
Effective debating requires expertise in a number of areas, and preparation can only get you so far. Lo expects her students to learn how to analyse issues, develop sound arguments, and speak with clarity and confidence. However, she explained that the ability to think on one’s feet while on stage is a key attribute.
“In a debate, the biggest challenge lies in identifying the critical points and offering effective rebuttals, which requires the debaters to listen intently to their opponents and come up with counter-arguments on the spot.”
The Maryknoll teams have had a number of other opportunities to hone their skills this year. Among the contests they’ve taken part in are the Hong Kong Schools Debating Championship; the Hong Kong British Parliamentary Debating Championship; and the New York Times Debate Challenge.
But the programme at Maryknoll is not just about finding a few particularly talented public speakers to represent the school in inter-school competitions. Lo would like to see as many students as possible develop the skills and confidence that debating can help to promote.
Related read: Multi-lingual discourse
Related read: The value of a good argument
Related read: Hard work pays off
Related read: A convincing case


Chartered Global Management Accountants: Leading businesses forward

Global Business Challenge nurtures future business leaders with practical experiences

CGMA nurtures finance practitioners into versatile business professionals

Project Innovate enables future-ready learning at CDNIS

Education Post Archive

SCMP Education

[School Debate Series] Maryknoll Convent School: The power of persuasion

News

Education

Joyce Lo, one of the debate team moderators at Maryknoll Convent School, finds it easy to pick out some of the qualities that have made her group of debaters successful.
