High School Debate Club at Kolegium Europejskie – Our First Tournament!

The high school debate club at Kolegium Europejskie is a space where students learn how to build convincing arguments, listen carefully to others and express their opinions with confidence. Sessions are held in both Polish and English. As a result, students develop not only their rhetorical skills but also their language abilities and confidence in public speaking.

Our First “Rozgadaj się!” Oxford-Style Debate Tournament

Our team has already taken part in its first tournament! Students from Kolegium Europejskie participated in the “Rozgadaj się!” Oxford-style debate tournament.

Although they are only beginning their debating journey, our students demonstrated impressive maturity, composure and rhetorical talent. The discussions explored important issues related to the European Union. Therefore, the tournament was an excellent opportunity to test their argumentation, teamwork and public speaking skills.

We are incredibly proud of our representatives and the commitment with which they embraced this new challenge!

Why Is a High School Debate Club So Valuable?

An Oxford-style debate requires participants to defend a specific position, organise their arguments and respond to the opposing team. Students must prepare carefully, listen attentively and react quickly as the discussion unfolds.

Regular participation in debates helps students develop:

– critical and analytical thinking,

– the ability to find and evaluate information,

– logical and persuasive argumentation,

– teamwork,

– a culture of respectful discussion,

– confidence in public speaking,

– the ability to speak under time pressure.

These skills are valuable at school, university and later in professional life. Debating also complements the education offered by our high school with the IB Programme, where independent thinking, the analysis of different perspectives and the ability to formulate well-supported conclusions play an important role.

Debating in Polish and English

Sessions in Polish are led by the club’s coordinator, Ms. Agnieszka Hliwa, while sessions in English are led by Ms. Helena Lassak. This bilingual format allows students to practise argumentation in two languages, expand their vocabulary and become more confident in an international environment.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Ms. Agnieszka Hliwa for preparing the students, accompanying them during the tournament and supporting them throughout this experience.

We wish the entire club every success, many inspiring discussions and the courage to take on new challenges. This is only the beginning of your debating journey, and we are cheering you on!

The tournament was co-organised by Krakowskie Stowarzyszenie Mówców and the Zacznij Gadać organisation. The project is funded by the European Union under the SPLOT WARTOŚCI 2.0 grant programme.