Debating is a powerful tool in the art of persuasion, helping individuals present and defend their viewpoints effectively. It promotes dialogue, argumentative skills and critical thinking, which are essential for democratic education. Through this practice, students are empowered to become active, participatory citizens in a democratic society.
On 26 June 2025, our school debating teams took part in the Berlin International Debating Contest—a major day-long event that was hosted by Europäisches Gymnasium Bertha-von-Suttner.
This year, 22 schools competed across two divisions: the Junior League and the Senior League. Among the participants were also international teams from Madrid (Spain) and Satu Mare (Romania),
Each junior team faced two prepared motions—“This House Would ban social media for under‑16s” and “This House Believes gamification is good for learning in schools”—followed by an impromptu round: “This House Would make all local public transport free.”, which the debaters had only 30 minutes to prepare for – with only a monolingual dictionary at hand.
Despite a last-minute change—Franzi stepped in overnight and quickly had to comprehend the topic when Chowon couldn’t attend—our juniors performed brilliantly. They won all three of their debates, demonstrating flexibility and fast thinking, essential skills for any debater. Additionally, we formed an impromptu team to support Ernst-Schering-Schule (who did not have one) which also won. And when another team was a no-show, Ella, Marie, and Viktoria bravely jumped in with ten minutes’ notice, winning even though it was an unofficial round. These spontaneous wins showed true team spirit and readiness.
Our juniors didn’t just win rounds—they also earned awards. Arjun and Viktoria were named “Speaker of the Debate,” while Leyla took the title twice. We are incredibly proud of: Arjun (8.1), Carlotta (10.1), Chowon (10.1), Ella (10.4), Franzi (10.1), Leyla (10.4), Marie (10.4), and Viktoria (8.1). Their success proves that preparation, adaptability, and teamwork pay off in high‑pressure competitions.
On the Senior side, our team faced equally challenging motions: “This House Believes Canada should join the EU” and “This House Believes compulsory military service in Germany is necessary,” along with an impromptu on “This House Believes women are superior to men.” The seniors found the impromptu round particularly tough—it felt imbalanced and non‑PC, essentially denying the principle of equality. They responded with creativity, clear structure, and passionate delivery, impressing both judges and audience. The seniors also won all three debates. At the end, with three victories, the excitement peaked when Eike, Elina, Jaroslav, Johanna, Letizia and Viktoria—all from grade Q2—were finally announced as senior champions, securing first place.
We would like to extend our thanks to the team of Bertha‑von‑Suttner‑Gymnasium for hosting this event—it is always fun and a pleasure to dive into the debating community, meeting old friends and making new ones!
Overall, this was our most successful competition to date. Both junior and senior teams achieved a perfect 8–0 record and secured first place overall. We won four “Speaker of the Debate” awards—one for the competition winner, one third‑place by points—and further recognition for our speakers. This outstanding result marks a new high in our team’s journey. If this success is any indication, we are truly just getting started. We look forward to even more triumphs in future tournaments—onward and upward!
Paula Schultz (Lili Debating Society)
