Debating

The Debating Society meets every week and approximately 30 students from Year 11 upwards attend. Debates follow the British Parliamentary style procedure and motions are set a week in advance. There are two teams of three with a large floor debate.

Sevenoaks currently participates in two major external debating competitions: the School’s Mace championship debates run by the English Speaking Union and the Oxford Student Union Debating Competition for Schools. This year Sevenoaks reached the regional final of the ESU championship.

Model United Nations

Model United Nations is a simulation of the UN. It involves representing the views of a foreign country in a number of forums and active debates. These are controlled forums in which clear procedural rules are adhered to.

Effective debate involves thorough preparation. This means research about the nation a student seeks to represent, and up to date knowledge about the issue of debate. Recent debates at Sevenoaks have included: the status of women, GM food, child soldiers, responses to natural disasters, Arab - Israeli conflict, and drug abuse and trafficking.

All debates are based upon the presentation of a prepared resolution by a representative from a particular country. Most debates last about 50 minutes, with anything between 25 to 45 students taking part.

Sevenoaks frequently takes part in MUN conferences organised by other schools. At such conferences the range of forums increases. This provides more opportunity for active involvement. This might include representation on The Security Council, ECOSOC, or any one of a number of committees that submit resolutions to the General Assembly. In addition to which students are constantly engaged in lobbying other delegates at the conference. By far the largest of these is the annual conference in The Hague, Netherlands. There students may have to address a forum of up to 1500 people.

Model United Nations always stresses the importance of student participation. Thus students will always chair and preside in debate. They will chastise opponents and work to the benefit of allies. Staff are on hand to advise on procedure and sometimes provide knowledge. Student debate can be sharp, hard and sometimes laden with subterfuge. Nevertheless it is always intelligent, refreshing, tolerant, and remarkably considerate. Indeed MUN by and large effectively upholds two main purposes of the UN as stated in the UN Charter:

• to develop friendly relations among nations
• to cooperate in solving international problems and in promoting respect for human rights.

From participation students tend to gain:

• a balanced and informed awareness of international issues
• improved competence and greater confidence in public speaking
• experience in running and taking responsibility for an effective forum
• a respect for internationalism