2026 Junior School Debates Day
Description
The USU is excited to welcome students to the University of Sydney campus for a fun day of competition at the Schools Debate Day!
This event celebrates Junior students in debating from Year 7 - Year 9.
Held on: Friday 4th December 2026
Registrations close: Wednesday 26th November 2026
The day will be divided into three sessions of debates. All schools should arrive at 8:40am in preparation for the start of the first session at 9:00am. We understand the importance of running Schools Debate Day to time, particularly given the travel requirements of many schools attending.
A $50 registration deposit is required for each team to confirm their place and help us manage attendance. The deposit will be fully refunded after the event, provided the registered team attends.
Refund requests can only be made before registrations close on Wednesday 26th November 2026. Once registrations have closed, if a registered team does not attend the event, the $50 deposit will be forfeited.
Further information will be provided to registered teams.
Debate Schedule
Debate 1: 9:00am – 10:30am
Recess: 10:30am – 10:50am*
Debate 2: 10:50am – 12:20pm
Lunch: 12:20pm – 1:00pm*
Debate 3: 1:00pm – 2:30pm
(*Please note that catering will NOT be provided for participating schools or students.)
Debate Format
In all three sessions, students will debate against teams from other schools. Teams will receive their topics and sides (affirmative or negative) in the main briefing room 30 minutes prior to each debate.
While many students may not yet be used to half-hour preparation times, learning to produce a debating case in a shorter period is valuable practice. Shortened preparation also allows us to include more debates across the day, which benefits all students involved.
Speeches will be 6–7minutes in length
One bell will sound at 6 minutes
A continuous bell will sound at 7 minutes and 15 seconds
At the end of each debate, students will receive feedback and advice from highly experienced university debaters.
This feedback is designed to help students continue developing their debating skills and confidence, focusing on:
The structure and content of individual speeches
How teams can improve case construction and teamwork
Developing speaker confidence by emphasising strengths
Using language, timing, and tone to deliver arguments more persuasively
Team Registrations
Each school may register up to 2 teams, with both teams entered in the same division or one team in each.
Teams may consist of up to 4 speakers, with speakers able to rotate throughout the day.
If your school would like to register more than 2 teams, please email m.nagpal@usu.edu.au to join the waitlist
If additional spaces become available, waitlisted teams will be offered places on Wednesday 16th September
✨ EQUITY TICKETS ✨
If your school is unable to pay the registration fee and would like to apply for an equity registration, please email Manav at m.nagpal@usu.edu.au with a short description outlining why an equity registration would benefit your school or students.
FAQs
- Are schools required to provide supervision?
Yes. Schools are required to provide adequate supervision for students attending the event throughout the day. Where possible, we recommend schools provide 1 teacher per team.
- When will the venue information be released?
Please see event description for final venue details.
- How many teams can each school register?
Each school may register up to 2 teams initially. Additional teams may be placed on a waitlist and offered positions subject to availability.
- Will catering be provided?
No. Catering will not be provided for participating schools or students. However, there are a variety of USU and non-USU food outlets available across campus for anyone wishing to purchase food on the day.
- How many students can be in a team?
Teams may consist of up to 4 speakers, with speakers able to rotate throughout the day.
- How do equity registrations work?
Schools seeking an equity registration are encouraged to contact the organisers via email with a short explanation of how the registration would benefit their students.
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