Tin Ka Ping tops UK-style debating contest
A team from Tin Ka Ping Secondary School was crowned champion at the grand final of a debating competition which concluded a summer workshop on British parliamentary (BP) debate.
The contest was held on July 29 at Hong Kong Polytechnic University at the end of a week-long training camp aimed at promoting the British system among secondary schools.
Organised by the Hong Kong Parliamentary Debating Society, the camp attracted about 70 students from 29 schools.
While the Hong Kong debate consists of two teams with three or four members each, the British version comprises four teams of two speakers - the Opening Government (Opening Affirmative),
Opening Opposition, Closing Government and Closing Opposition.
Jasmine So Ka-yi and Phoenix Lee Ching-kwan of Tin Ka Ping took the honour, representing the Closing Opposition on the motion: 'This House believes that the government in developed countries should fund all forms of cosmetic surgery.'
The other finalists were: Opening Government - Angela Lu (Shatin College) and Justin Lee (Maryknoll Convent School); Opening Opposition - Benjamin Kindler and Faye Cheung (both German Swiss International School); Closing Government - Justin Chan Chun-sun (Tonbridge School, United Kingdom) and Melissa Chiu Ka-yan (St Paul's Co-educational College).
'We were a bit nervous at the final as we were facing teams from top schools,' said Jasmine, a Form Seven student.
'It was the first time I had taken part in English debating. We did not much time to prepare - only 15 minutes - and we had to fulfil our role as the Closing Opposition. It was hard.
'Since we didn't have much time to do research, we had to depend on our common sense and our knowledge of current affairs.'
Jasmine said she learned a lot from the training camp.
'I used to hate English public speaking, and when I had to do it, I wrote down every word and memorised them,' she said.
'But in BP debating, I only have time to jot down points and have to organise them real quick.
'It requires quick thinking and trains us to look at things from different perspectives.'
Shatin College's Justin Koh Jek Kahn, 12, was named best public speaker. He was also the youngest participant.
The grand final's judges included members of the British Parliament - Nigel Evans of the Conservative Party and Paul Keetch of the Liberal Democrats.
