Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Schools Mace sees unprecedented expansion as a result of the roadshow

The ESU Schools Mace, the National Debating Championship, has experienced an unprecedented level of expansion as a result of this year's roadshow for new entrants.

Last year's competition involved just over 450 schools from around England and Scotland. The roadshow has helped this expand its largest ever size; as of today, when guaranteed entry to the competition ends in all regions, 575 schools are enrolled in the Championship.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Roadshow ends in London

Our largest two workshops so far have both taken place this week. Yesterday Alex and Alice were joined at Townsend School in St Albans by Lewis Iwu, Ben Jasper and David Tan where 80 students took part in our penultimate workshop. The grand finale took place this evening at Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School in Whitechapel, London. Over 100 students were coached by Alex, Lewis, Ben, David, Mischa Balen, Michael Ehioze-Ediae, Adam Ross and Will Sharp. Our thanks to them, and to the core roadshow team from the first fortnight (Alex, Alice, Kirsty, Rob and Tom). Thanks also to all the schools for their hospitality, and to the Department for Constitutional Affairs for funding the roadshow.

We wish all the new entrants to the Schools Mace who took part in these workshops all the best for their first round heats.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Roadshow reaches its southernmost point

The roadshow team arrived in Plymouth today where the high-proportion of students with links to service families made for a heated repeat of the motion on withdrawing troops from Iraq. Saltash Community School were our hosts, adding their names to the succession of warm welcomes we have received; Monday's came from Bury St Edmunds County Upper School, Tuesday's from King's Norton Boys' School in Birmingham. Tomorrow the roadshow heads to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bristol before we end the week at Guildford High School.

Friday, September 16, 2005

Roadshow reaches Leeds

Following workshops on Tuesday in Dunfermline (at Woodmill High School with the display debate "This House would send a manned mission to Mars"), on Wednesday in Newcastle (at Burnside Business and Enterprise College, started off by a debate on the motion "This House would withdraw UK troops from Iraq") and on Thursday in Liverpool ("This House would make voting compulsory" was the display debate at Gateacre Community Comprehensive School), the roadshow has now reached Leeds. Schools from the area gathered for a workshop at West Leeds High School. After the display debate "This House would ban zoos", students once again broke into groups with Alex, Alice, Kirsty and Rob to learn more about how to prepare and deliver a speech in the Schools Mace, while teachers got coaching tips from Harold and Tom. The team will now be spending the weekend in York, before heading south on Monday morning.

Monday, September 12, 2005

Roadshow starts with workshop in Glasgow

Bishopbriggs High School in Glasgow hosted the Roadshow Squad and 13 schools from around Glasgow and the west of Scotland in the first of our 12 roadshow workshops. After a display debate on the motion 'This House would grant Scotland full independence' over sixty students split into groups to learn how to prepare and deliver a speech in a debate. Everyone gave their own 1 minute speech by the end of the evening, and most of the schools have now entered for the ESU Schools Mace, the National Debating Championship, with the others looking set to join us next year now that the Roadshow has given a boost to the development of their schools' debating societies.

Sunday, September 11, 2005

ESU Schools Mace National Roadshow 2005 arrives in Scotland

In a major new initiative funded as part of our new partnership with the Department for Constitutional Affairs, a team of 5 university debaters arrived in Edinburgh this evening ready to share their skills and enthusiasm with new entrants to the ESU Schools Mace, the National Debating Championship. Rob Robinson, Tom Shinner and Alice Tullo flew in from London, joined in Edinburgh by our Scottish contingent, Alex Just and Kirsty Russell. Along with Harold Raitt, the ESU's Debates and Education Officer, they will be travelling round the country stopping in 12 towns and cities over the next two and a half weeks.