In the Year 5/6 area of Benalla P-12 College, we are developing and sharing a state-wide leadership program to build the skills of young leaders. Each week the leaders meet with four other schools from across Victoria. Schools have just completed two weeks of orientation and warm-up activities to prepare them for a weekly debating program over the DET high definition Polycom Videoconferencing network. Each Thursday Year 5/6 leaders meet in a ‘virtual debating room’ and research and debate real world issues. The schools are: Benalla P-12 College, Mildura West Primary School, Edi Upper Primary School, Eskdale Primary School and Grovedale Primary School (Geelong).

Thursday 26th February marks the first debating session with Benalla Vs Mildura West (‘That we spend too much time on the Internet’) and Eskdale Vs Edi Upper (‘That School uniform should be compulsory’). The debating series culminates in a Grand Final with the two top schools facing each other and adjudicators Sandy Phillips and Peter Maggs from the Digital Learning Branch on Thursday 19th  March. Interested schools can visit the blog/website at debating.global2.vic.edu.au  for more information.

There is already a waiting list of six other schools who want to join our program in term 2. Schools can express an interest in participating in Term 2 – Series 2 at http://debating.global2.vic.edu.au/the-schools/