NZ students win world debating champs
19 Feb 2009
New Zealand students have proved they are amongst the brightest and most articulate in the world by winning the World Schools' Debating Championship in Athens, Greece.
The Kiwi team had a convincing victory over England, beating them 6-1 in a motion that saw New Zealand proposing that ''all illegal immigrants should receive amnesty".
Last year's defeat
On the way to this morning's final (19.02.09), New Zealand defeated Singapore, Scotland, Canada, Wales, Peru, the Netherlands, Chile, Bangladesh, and Germany.
The win over England was particularly satisfying as New Zealand suffered a heartbreaking 4-5 decision loss to their English counterparts in last year's final.
Months of hard work
New Zealand Schools' Debating Council spokesman Christopher Bishop said winning the title was an amazing achievement and reflected months of hard work.
"This victory proves that New Zealand has some of the brightest and most articulate young people in the world", said Mr Bishop.
"All New Zealanders should be very proud."
The team was made up of captain Maria English, Holly Jenkins, Jennifer Savage, Tom Chen and Ben Kornfeld - all from different schools around New Zealand.
Championship history
New Zealand last won the title in 1995, and previously in 1992 and 1991.
The World Schools Debating Championships is an annual English-language debating tournament for high school debaters from around the world.
In recent years, the annual event has involved teams from 35 nations. Recent venues have included Sydney, London, Johannesburg, Singapore, Lima and Cardiff.
The championships were first held in 1988 in Australia, as part of the Australian Bicentenary celebrations. New Zealand was one of the six countries that competed in the inaugural tournament against Australia, Canada, England, Hong Kong, and the United States.
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