New Zealand debaters win 5 from 6

11 July 2006

New Zealand debaters win 5 from 6

The New Zealand Schools debating team have won five out of six debates and are well-positioned heading into the final day of preliminary rounds at the World Schools Debating Championships in Cardiff, Wales.

New Zealand students Kathy Scott-Dowell (Samuel Marsden Collegiate School), Dan White (Rangitoto College), Craig Riddell (Wanganui Collegiate School) and Samuel Caldicott (Kristen College) have lost only to Ireland, negating the moot "That we should impose a worldwide ban against smoking."

Teams they have defeated include the highly-rated Israel and Singapore teams. Moots successfully debated include "That we should treat captured terrorists as prisoners of war" (affirmative against Israel), "That we should ban abortion" (negative against Singapore, and "That everyone in full time higher education should be required to do charity work" (affirmative against Slovenia).

The team now faces South Korea and Lesotho and are in a good position to break in to the final rounds of the competition.

ENDS

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