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The Donald Gorrie Debating Competition

Thanks to everyone who took part in the second debating competition on 18 June – teams, supporters and judges. We hope you agree that it was a fantastic evening.

“I’ve listened to 70 or 80 debates and this was one of the best”.

Congratulations to winners Craigmount High Seniors and Royal High Juniors

Commiserations to the runners up . There’s always next year!

 

 

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On Wednesday 18 June at 6pm at St Andrew’s and St George’s West, junior and senior teams from local schools will debate the motion:

 

“This house believes that by year 2025 it will be clear that Independence has been beneficial for the majority of Scots”

Participating schools this year are

Craigmount High School

The Royal High School

Linlithgow Academy

South Queensferry High School

Everyone is welcome to come along and encourage the teams and to listen to the voices of people too young to vote but whose lives will be shaped by the outcome of the September referendum. The standard of debating is usually extremely high.

Background to the Donald Gorrie Debating Competition

We value debate and discussion here at St Andrew’s and St George’s West and so in 2013 we launched the first Donald Gorrie Debating Competition for secondary schools.

Donald Gorrie (1933-2012) was a schoolmaster, orator, Member of Parliament and Member of the Scottish Parliament. He campaigned passionately for fairness, opportunity and justice.

Donald was also an elder here at St Andrew’s and St George’s West. Our schools debating competition is named in his memory and generously supported by his family.

 

2013 Competition

Our first competition in June 2013 was one of a series of events marking the anniversary of 1843 Disruption of the Church of Scotland. Junior and senior teams from Edinburgh schools debated the motion

“This House believes that religion has a significant part to play in the future of Scotland.”

Euan McPherson and colleagues from Edinburgh University Debating Society led the judging and commended the standard of debating. The Very Rev Lorna Hood, Moderator of the Church of Scotland, attended the debates and complimented the teams on the quality of their arguments. Loretto emerged as winners of the junior debating trophy with Merchiston as runners up, while  Edinburgh Academy wrested the senior debating trophy from runners up George Watsons.

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