Volunteers needed to judge Ireland’s largest school debating contest

Concern Debates is an all-island education programme for primary and secondary school teams who debate world issues like poverty, inequality and climate change with volunteer judges deciding which team wins. 

The contest’s organisers, humanitarian organisation Concern Worldwide, said hundreds of schools take part each year and that they need volunteer judges to keep it running.

“You don’t need to be an expert in the topic areas – the most important thing is that volunteers must be able to see both sides of an argument and be able to provide constructive, positive feedback,” said Concern’s Head of Global Citizenship Lauren Wright. 

“We provide training to anyone who would like to be an adjudicator. No expertise is required, but an open mind is essential.”

One veteran Concern Debates adjudicator, Finbarr O’Sullivan from Rosscarbery, Cork, said judges get a lot of enjoyment helping young people to develop the many skills they learn from debating.

The farmer and financial advisor has been a volunteer with the competition since the mid-1980s not long after it was created to encourage further debate about global issues among young people. 

“It is a way of giving back to something I got a lot of enjoyment out of myself since I was very young,” said Mr O’Sullivan, who is a seasoned debater with the Macra na Feirme community organisation.

“It is a way of engaging young people with social issues prevalent today and it is about helping them to become confident communicators and to develop skills in analysing information, critical thinking and public speaking.

“One woman who participated in Concern Debates told me it definitely helped her develop the skills for the job she does today advocating for people in difficult circumstances. 

“You hear people say it gave them the courage to stand up. They learn how to get their thoughts in order and filter what they say before they say it.

“The children who take part learn a huge amount about the issues they are researching, which are often the issues of our time and very topical. 

“Importantly, as an adjudicator we don’t judge on the issues themselves, but on how they present their argument to convince those observing the debate.”

Concern said that adjudicators will mark one or two debates per school year, but they are free to adjudicate as many or as few debates as they wish. 

The debates are run online from October to January allowing adjudicators to mark debates from home and they are in-person from March to May when many of the finals are held.

More details about the competition are available at www.concern.net . Anyone interested in volunteering to be an adjudicator is asked to call 01 4177733 or email debates@concern.net.  

ENDS

For more information, please contact Kevin Jenkinson at kevin.jenkinson@concern.net.