Debating
Sacred Heart School has an active and successful debating programme open to students from grade 6 through 12. Students can join the debating club just to learn the fine art of persuasion, or be part of the competitive Debating Team.Students on the team participate in Nova Scotia Debating Society tournaments and in a number of national and international events.
We normally attend the McGill University High School tournament, the Oxford Cup, Queen's University Tournament, the Hart House tournament, the Moses Coady Debates, the Sodales tournament, as well as the Junior High Nationals and the National Seminar. We host the Donahoe Cup and the Sacred Heart Debate Camp. We also regularly participate in American tournaments as members of the Debate Association of New England Independent Schools.
Our students place well at these events. Sacred Heart students have placed first individually at each of the Canadian events — four times in the last eight years at the McGill tournament, the largest in North America.
You are welcome to use the debating materials on our site, although we ask you to acknowledge their source. Another fine collection of materials is available free from Simon Quinn at www.learndebating.com. The Nova Scotia Debating Society also has tournament information and excellent instructional materials available here.
A Sacred Heart debate website with additional materials appears here: sites.google.com/site/shshdebate/
For further information on the Sacred Heart Programme, please contact Brian Casey, or by calling (902) 460-3468 (work) or (902) 423-8457 home.
Debating Programme downloadable pdf forms
Sacred Heart Instructional Materials
Beginners- Outline of Responsibility
- Summary of Steps
- Case construction
- Flow Chart of a Demonstration Debate
- Main skills
- Note taking

