Debating in Mount Sackville
‘It is the mark of an educated person to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it’ – Aristotle
Debating is all about ideas, competing ideas. All too often we readily accept what presented to us as passive participants in the marketplace of ideas. Debating pulls us out of that comfort zone, pushes us to the rostrum and forces us to defend our opinions. More powerfully still, it can compel us to argue against our beliefs, a challenge, which once accepted, can greatly enhance our capacity to think critically and look upon the world with a more sceptical disposition than before.
In Mount Sackville Secondary School, debating has enjoyed a long tradition with many notable successes. In the Leinster Schools and Junior Schools competitions in recent years, the majority of competing students have reached the semi-finals. Other competitions which the school has long has associations include the Belvedere Mace and the Phil ‘Speaks’ Competition. As well as speaking in events externally, senior students assist in the running of an internal competition for junior students.
All students who participate in debating events whether within the school or without stand to benefit when it comes to their academic subjects. The structuring of a speech, the collation of evidence, the marshalling of ideas to support one’s argument form the very essence of essay writing in subjects like English, History, Classical Studies and Geography. With the new Junior Cycle English programme, the ability to present information to an audience is appraised in a Classroom Based Assessment. Perhaps even more important for many of the students taking part, is not just winning the argument but gaining new friends and interests.
Díospóireacht
Tá traidisiún láidir ag an scoil seo le foirne díospóireachtaí le blianta beaga anuas. Tugann an díospóireacht trí mheán na Gaeilge deis do dhaltaí féinmhuinín agus meas a chothú dóibh féin i dtaobh na Teanga. Gach uile bliain, bíonn an- suim ag na daltaí dul i ngleic le díospóireachtaí na Gaeilge agus dár ndóigh, bíonn sé i gcónaí rathúil. I méanscoil Chnoc Sackville, tá foireann Shóisearach agus foireann Shinsearach againn. Téann na daltaí chuig scoileanna áirithe ar fud Bhaile Átha Cliath chun babhtaí díospóireachtaí éagsúla a bhaint amach. Bíonn comórtais ann gach bliain ar fud an Laighin agus dár ndóigh, feabhsaíonn na daltaí a gcuid líofachta sa teanga agus gan aon amhras ar bith, aimsíonn siad a ngrá don teanga.
Tá an comórtas seo á reáchtáil ag Gael Linn do scoileanna dara leibhéal nach ndéantar teagasc iontu trí Ghaeilge, agus dóibh siúd amháin.
Aidhm an Chomórtais
Is chun leas na Gaeilge atá an comórtas seo á reáchtáil. Chuige sin is dóigh linn gur féidir na díospóireachtaí a úsáid mar áis chun an teanga a mhúineadh trí rannpháirtíocht an ranga go léir. Is féidir é seo a dhéanamh ar shlite éagsúla, mar shampla:
- an rang ar fad a chur ag déanamh taighde ar ábhar an rúin
- ábhar an rúin a thabhairt mar aiste don rang agus na tuairimí a thagann aníos a phlé sa rang
- an rang ar fad a ghríosadh le freastal ar na díospóireachtaí
- mic léinn nach mbeidh ar an bhfoireann a ullmhú roimh ré chun a dtuairimí a thabhairt ón urlár ag deireadh na díospóireachta.
DEBATTIERWETTBEWERB IN DEUTSCHER SPRACHE
Schülerinnen aus dem 5. und 6. Jahrgang in Mount Sackville haben die Möglichkeit, jährlich an dem vom Goethe Institut und Siemens organisierten Debattierwettbewerb teilzunehmen. Schülerinnen fangen im September mit der Vorbereitung der Debatte an. Beispielsthesen, die wir bisher gemacht haben, lauten: ‚Das Übergangsjahr ist wertvoll’ und ‚Schuluniformen sind nicht mehr zeitgemäß’. Die Thesen sind immer relevant zum Schulleben und die Themen, die im Leaving Cert im schriftlichen und mündlichen Teil der Prüfung zu finden sind. Die Teilnahme am Debattierwettbewerb ist eine fantastische Möglichkeit, die Schülerinnen zu motivieren und ihre sprachlichen Leistungen vor allem im mündlichen Ausdruck spürbar zu verbessern.