The Debate Letters

In 2009 I was in my second year of teaching debate at SMK St Thomas's. During that time, I began writing weekly letters to the Thomians, as an aid to the things that I was teaching them at the regular training sessions. I called them 'The Debate Letters', and intended them to be a syllabus for debate training in the school after I left.

(I did most of the writing, but Paul helped me design the structure of the syllabus - e.g.: which concepts to teach first, and so on.)

Three years on and these letters have proven their worth: St Thomas's went to the semi-finals last year, and are now regarded as worthy opponents in Swinburne's WSDC Tournament. A number of other schools got their paws on the letters: St Colomba in Miri use them for training, and St Mary's had them by default, seeing as I was coaching both St Mae and St Thom for a time. I'm also fairly certain Batu Lintang and Kuching High have a copy, though I'm not certain as to their dissemination or use.

I am, today, on the eve of the 2011 Swinburne WSDC tournament, making these letters available to all schools. You may read them here. I've actually been considering this for a few years now: if the debate letters has been so helpful to the three schools who use it, why not make it open and give all other institutions the benefit of this experience?

I have two main reasons for doing this:

1) A rising tide raises all ships. If all the debate teams in Kuching improve, then St Thomas's, too, would benefit. There is no joy in debating in an environment where crap teams win because of crap adjudicators. The more teams recognize quality debating when they see it, the better off everyone would be.

2) This is in line with my debate philosophy: I teach debate not merely because I like the sport, but because I believe it's a wonderful tool with which you may teach kids the elements of critical thinking. And God knows, we need more critical thinkers in Malaysia.

Print it, read it, copy it, modify it to suit your needs. And please, if you're reading my blog, I'd appreciate it if you spread this to as many debators in as many schools as possible.

JK

I was about to turn in for bed yesterday when I realized: I'm no longer invested in my country's political process. I don't care who wins, or who loses. The Anwar sex tape scandal feels like a joke, played out by actors on a worn-out stage. I don't read Malaysian newspapers, and I can't be bothered to give a damn about the stupid things our politicians say in public (and there are too many instances to count ...)

The Malaysian government's stupidity is a norm now, not an exception. But we all know that. I suppose I'm jaded and cynical and tired out by the whole process, and that I should care, but I can't bring myself to.

My country is a joke.