Newcastle University Year of Sustainability
School debate event - 14^th November 2011

In this one day event, four North East schools took part in a competition in which students were encouraged to engage critically with contemporary issues related to sustainability. The event was part of a series of activities taking place throughout 2011 to celebrate Newcastle University’s world-leading work on sustainability. For more information, see Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability. Prizes were awarded to the winning team, the runners up and best individuals.

Competition Topics:

• “Population Growth must be curbed”
• “Wolves should be reintroduced into the wild in Britain”
• “Nuclear power is the answer to the world’s energy problems”

Workshop Debate Topics:

• “Sustainability is bad for the developing world”
• “It is wrong to experiment on animals”
• “Multiculturalism is incompatible with equality”
• “Following the Phone Hacking Scandal, the Media Needs Tougher Regulation”

The winners were ...

1. First prize: Durham Johnston School, who received a £20 book token for the school and £10 book tokens each for the team: Lizzie Augarde, Roisin Becktayer, Charlie Patterson and Emmeline Skinner-Cassidy

2. Second prize: St John's Catholic School and Sixth Form Centre, who received a £10 book token for the school and £5 book tokens each for the team: Roy Duffin, Holly Longstaff, Amy Slack and Joe Ward
   [prizes courtesy of Newcastle University]

& the individual prizes went to

• Best individual: Amy Slack (St John's) - £20 book token courtesy of Blackwell's bookshop

• Outstanding performance: Roisin Becktayer (Durham Johnston) - £10 book token courtesy of Blackwell's bookshop

• Highly commended: Elle Connell (Stockton Sixth Form) - £10 book token courtesy of Newcastle University

• Highly commended: Elizabeth Carr (SRC Bede Sixth Form) - £10 book token courtesy of Newcastle University

Video of the final recorded by participants of great northern youth voices project

Timetable	Monday 14 November 2011
09:15am - 09:45am	Registration and Refreshments
09:45am - 10:00am	Welcome address
10:00am - 11:15am	Debate 1: Population Growth must be curbed
11:15am - 11:45am	Refreshments
11:45am - 01:00pm	Debate 2: Wolves should be reintroduced into the wild in Britain
01:00pm - 01:45pm	Lunch
01:45pm - 03:00pm	Debate Final: Nuclear power is the answer to the world’s energy problems
03:00pm - 03:30pm	Refreshments
03:30pm - 05:00pm	Panel debate - Progress and Sustainability in the 21st century Session exploring the meaning of 'progress' and 'sustainability' from a variety of viewpoints and asking where we should be going over the next half a century. Most of the time was given over to audience questions and points, so this was the students' chance to quiz the experts! Speakers: Thom Brooks, Reader in Political and Legal Philosophy; Kate Manzo, lecturer in international development; and Christopher Ritson, Emeritus Professor of Agricultural Marketing Chair: Caspar Hewett

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An opportunity for schools ...

Thanks to the generous support of Newcastle University The Great Debate were able to offer eight schools a free half-day debating workshop with experts from The Great Debate team. There is so much to gain from debating, not least skills in doing independent research, public speaking, presentation, and of course formulating and sustaining an argument. Thinking for themselves and thinking on their feet develops the confidence and skills required to make informed judgements about scientific and social issues, taking participants well beyond the subject matter of the debates.

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