CBSE CLASS X: ENGLISH WRITING: DEBATE

A debate is also a speech, but with a different way of presenting content.

Like a speech, a debate also begins by addressing the Chair and the audience:
*Respected Chairperson, Chief Guest, Principal and Teachers, today, I would like to speak in favour of
the motion (state the motion)
*Adding Respected before designations like Chairperson, Principal, Chief Guest, etc. is a typically
Asian convention. In most other cultures, these designations inherently indicate respect.
All speeches are persuasive in style. The speakers intention is to convert the audience to his/her own
way of thinking on the topic.
A good speaker in a debate, either for or against the motion, should also anticipate the Oppositions
points to demolish them in advance. For instance, if you are speaking in favour of reducing the use of
electronic gadgets by school students, then you should also state and counter points against this motion.
For example:
Experts may state in theory that tablets and cellular phones work wonders engaging students in their
lessons. In reality, however, statistics prove that more students get addicted to gaming instead of
learning because the constant monitoring of young learners at home and school is not a viable option.
Read the debate below on Should schools have uniforms?
Respected Principal, teachers and dear friends, I speak for the motion on Should schools have
uniforms? All schools should definitely have uniforms for a number of very good reasons.
Firstly, the uniform gives the student a sense of identity. For the new student, the uniform gives
him or her a sense of belonging to a large group, and hence, safe with friends. Secondly, parents
save a lot of money on clothes. All students will otherwise cause a huge expenditure on the latest
designer fashions to impress their friends. To quote ex US President, Bill Clinton, If it means
that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should
require their students to wear school uniforms. Lastly, uniforms keep students safe in public.
They can be easily identified and protected when out on excursion or even when returning home
alone from school. All drivers slow down for school children crossing a road.
Respected Principal, teachers and dear friends, I speak against the motion on Should schools
have uniforms? I do not agree with my friend who made several points in favour of uniforms for
school students. I will prove that students do not require uniforms. Firstly, the word uniform
means without any difference. Yet, education today caters uniquely to individual learners who
are accepted as different. Since we are not clones of each other, why should we dress identically?
Uniforms can even symbolize a total lack of imagination. Education is supposed to set the
imagination free, yet students do not even design the uniforms they wear. Next, identity and team
spirit are not caused by the uniform but the people who wear them. Friendship, too, is not based
on superficial details. Do students make friends on the basis of the uniform or because they share
similar interests, likes and dislikes? Thirdly, uniforms cost a lot of money. Better bargains are
available at sales where you can buy even branded products at cheaper rates. Uniforms come at a
fixed rate and are usually quite expensive. Again, the safety of students depends on the law and
order prevalent in society. A uniform cannot save a student in an accident caused by rash driving.
A careful teacher keeps a student safe in a school excursion, not the uniform. Lastly, I will end
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by firmly asserting that a uniform suggests unimaginative and repressive discipline, whereas no
uniform suggests inborn responsibility and creativity in schools.
Remember, that your points need to be forceful, with examples and data as evidence. You should not
repeat points.
Some debates are never-ending across countries:
Should there be a death penalty?
Should the country allocate a bigger budget for Defense or Education?
Is freedom of artistic expression at risk today?
Some debates are of more local and age-specific interest:
Should sports be given equal weightage as academics at school?
Should children be given mobile phones by parents?
Should parents or students decide their choice of subject stream in Class XII?
Your turn, next: Select any of the above debate topics and write a speech in 120 words, arguing
for/against the motion. Imagine you are participating in an inter-school contest. Remember to mention
the Chair person, judges and assembled teachers in your address.

Hope this helps!