Event Description
State Debating Team Trials
Date & Time
All Day Event, Saturday, November 29, 2025 - , Sunday, November 30, 2025
These trials are the official selection process for the State Debating Squad, a group of ~12 high school students from which the four person State Debating Team will be selected to represent WA at the 2026 National Schools Debating Championships (NSDC) in Brisbane. We would, however, like to emphasise that these trials are a valuable experience even for students not pushing for selection in the Squad, as the feedback received from our experienced adjudicators will be transferable to WADL's other debating competitions.
Trials will be held on 29 and 30 November over the weekend. There will be three debates on each day, with the venue to be confirmed. Whilst students are welcome to attend all 6 debates if they would like, this is by no means a requirement as selectors will only take into consideration a student's best 3 debates across the entire trials process. All debates will be in an impromptu format, meaning the topic will be released one hour before the start of the debate, during which time students will prepare with their teams without access to external resources (eg the internet).
This year, trials are being hosted at the end of 2025, as opposed to the beginning of 2026. This is to extend the Squad process so that students do not have to attend two days a week. Additionally, it creates a longer Squad process for students to profit from the development opportunity.
The selection process is open to all students from Year 7 to 12.
Please register your attendance via (link to follow).
Registrations close 25 November.
Please direct any questions or seek additional information via email stateteam@wadl.org