Tauranga Boys’ College Wins Cooney Lees Morgan Regional Schools’ DebatingChampionships

Tauranga Boys’ College has won the Cooney Lees Morgan Bay of Plenty Regional Schools’ Debating Championships for the third time. The event was hosted at Tauranga Boys’ College on Sunday 16 March.

The Tauranga Boys’ College team of Ollie Larsen, Jacob O’Toole Corrigan, and Sam Mitchell beat the Mount Maunganui College team of Maggie Reaves, Keenan McGregor, and Elly Shirley in the Grand Final. This is the third consecutive year Tauranga Boys’ College and Mount Maunganui College have gone head to head in the Grand Final. Tauranga Boys’ College was awarded the Josh Baxter Cup.

The teams in the Grand Final debated the motion: ‘This house regrets the prevalence of technopessimism.’

The Bay of Plenty Regional Schools’ Debating Championships, held annually and sponsored by Cooney Lees Morgan, involved a record-breaking 40 teams and over 120 students from around the region. “We’re incredibly grateful for Cooney Lees Morgan’s continued support, which enabled this opportunity for so many intelligent and expressive students”, said Liam Silverwood, President of the New Zealand Schools' Debating Council.

Students debated in three preliminary rounds, on topics ranging from the appropriate length for parliamentary terms to the best approach to raising children in a digital world.

"It’s inspiring to see young Bay of Plenty students engaging deeply with challenging topics”, said Silverwood. “Debating fosters intellectual curiosity and sharpens analytical thinking- qualities that are invaluable as students prepare to navigate an increasingly complex world. ”

Students had half an hour to prepare their speeches after finding out what side of the topic they were arguing.

A squad of three debaters was chosen to compete at the National Finals of the New Zealand Schools' Debating Championships, which will be held in Wellington in May. The Cooney Lees Morgan Bay of Plenty Schools’ Debating Team will be represented by: Ollie Larsen (Tauranga Boys’ College), Pearl Vahey-Bourne (Tauranga Girls’ College), and Jacob O’Toole Corrigan (Tauranga Boys’ College). "These students demonstrated remarkable persuasiveness and rhetorical ability over the weekend, and I look forward to welcoming them to the National Championships", said Silverwood.

The New Zealand Schools’ Debating Championships have been held annually since 1988 and are recognised as the country’s most prestigious school debating competition. The Championships are convened by the New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council, a charity that works to promote debating in secondary schools around the country.

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