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Get your school involved
Registration for the Concern Debates 2022-2023 Competition is now open.
What's involved?
Schools that have successfully registered will be informed once the registration deadline closes in September and will then be provided with their motions and fixtures list in early October.
The League Phase of the competition will be online. The later stages of debates will be face-to-face debates, dependent on health and safety guidelines and government advice.
Training and guidance will be provided for participating schools and adjudicators before the competition begins.
All schools will get the chance to take part in three unique debates and learn about development issues and the work of Concern.
The Concern Debates programme will be fully funded by Irish Aid and schools will not be asked to pay a registration fee.
Please contact [email protected] if you have questions or need more information.
Why take part?
If you need any more convincing why you, your pupils or your children should take part in the Concern Debates, here are just some of the skills that previous participants have said they gained from debating:
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Learn to speak in public and in front of peers
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Develop cognitive and language abilities, as well as skills in research and debating
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Gain a deeper understanding of the global issues affecting millions of people
If you like what you’ve heard so far, please sign up below and a Concern member of staff will be in touch with further information.
Video training
New to Debating? Not sure how to structure your speech and gain top marks? Check out the students from Portmarnock Community School below and see our full playlist here.
Each video highlights where the students are getting marked and are a good introduction to get acquainted with the marking sheet.
Debate team taking part in a Concern Debate's 2019
Largy College winners of Concern Debates 2019
Concern Debate teams get ready to go head to head
‘Engaging young people with social justice issues is empowering for the teacher and the learner and brings a real sense of energy to the classroom and to the school environment.’
Registration
Registration for the Concern Debates usually begins before schools close for the summer holidays and continues into early September. Please note that completing the registration form does not automatically guarantee a place on the programme. A Concern Debates staff member will be in touch to let you know if your application is successful. Then your Debates journey can begin!
League phase
Knockout stage
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
National finals
Debate resources
Concern Debates Chief Adjudicator Feedback and Results Form
(PDF, 77 KB)
Concern Debates Adjudicator Poster
(PDF, 168 KB)
Concern Debates Timekeeper Sheet
(PDF, 3 MB)
Concern Debates Chairperson's Speech
(PDF, 2 MB)
Debates Marking Sheet
(PDF, 3 MB)
Adjudicator Handbook 2021
(PDF, 989 KB)
Debates Platform: A guide for adjudicators
(PDF, 989 KB)
Debates Online platform: A guide for teachers
(PDF, 1 MB)
Concern Debates 2021/22 School Debates Platform Training
(PDF, 2 MB)
League Phase Motions 2021-22
(PDF, 642 KB)
Concern Debates - 2021 finals
Cup final
Shield finalRelated reading
