Lessons from a debate club

As an educator, you have the privilege of experiencing the trajectory of young minds. Biweekly, I have been organising a debate club for 13–16-year-olds for the past three years, having around 20 students debating, observing, researching and questioning various socio-political themes.

From the intricacies of the education system to the perils of the environment, students do not shy away from having a say on what is going on outside the classroom. While a person is debating their arguments, others are fact-checking, counterarguing or simply watching how the debate is unfolding.

Seeing young people interested in societal issues in this way is truly fascinating. Contrary to our belief, rather than the young being apolitical or disinterested, I think that politics is disinterested and indifferent to the young. This is true especially when you see a sense of helplessness in the students’ eyes, knowing that their arguments are solid, their intent is genuine and yet their voices remain unheard.

As an educator and activist, I have been trying to push debates on the national agenda to be an integral part of the curriculum, and to have a platform where students’ voices can be genuinely heard and accounted for. When we give students the space to speak, they provide us with hope – hope that there is still something (or someone) worth fighting for. Therefore, I will be sharing five lessons that flourish from the school’s debate club, lessons that are quietly forming the lives of many.

1. Students practise critical thinking, while we remain preaching it: Students do not debate in black or white; they contest the grey spaces. We speak a lot about critical thinking in education and yet we still fear criticism; we still fear when people challenge systems and status quos, and hence, we still fear change.

The students, at least in my experience, do not have any false pretences to truth. They are not afraid to speak what is right. They are not afraid to stand up for the things that adults are weaning away from.

Even in education-related terms, students challenge the syllabi they are taught and the decisions being taken from above, on their behalf.

Their ability to question systems shows that they can dissect different layers; they can start to understand the politics and the power dynamics. This is the beauty of being a student; they do not have any pretence. Nothing to hold him or her back from speaking critically.

2. Students have a lot of pertinent things to say: We often perpetuate ageism when it comes to our students, thinking that they are either naïve or disassociated with everything that is happening. On the contrary, students, especially older ones, are perceptive of the socio-political tensions around us, and are also willing to share their suggestions and ideas.

We should all hope that the young generation can bring change- Luke Fenech

For example, a few weeks ago, we debated whether “families still have a main impact on students”, considering the current family dynamics, societal pressures and the role of social media in replacing certain gaps in students’ upbringing. The students were very mature on the topic, laying out different reasons why socio-political factors (e.g. displacement, hectic workloads, traffic) affect the students and their families personally and why we should care about it.

What I realise here is that when we speak about policies and what we ought to do, it is the people who are affected the most that are having the least say.

3. Forming characters through encounters and attitudes:  Organising the debate club for the past three years has allowed me to see students develop. Not just in their ability to communicate their ideas but also in the way their characters are being formed through their ideas – and through others. Since the space is safe, students get to listen, contest and dialogue with each other, being exposed to constant feedback and encounters.

In return, the students get to form different attitudes, such as empathy, respect, and courage – the courage to stand up and encounter the other.

4. More thinking, less teaching: Another lesson that I would like to share is a personal one, i.e., from a teacher’s perspective. During the debates, I tend to find myself more of a thinker than a teacher. In other words, I tend to help students think about different situations, about what lies behind the curtain, and how different points of view can still have things in common.

By helping students think about nuances, I enjoy myself getting immersed in the conversations hereafter – and in seeing students ‘joining the dots’ on their own.

5. Social media is not all black:  The level of knowledge on societal issues that students have is quite surprising; knowledge that is supported by good social media exposure. If discussing international politics with 13-year-olds seem far-fetched, think again. If one thinks that students are blinded by propaganda and false pretences, think again. You would be surprised to know how much students can think between the lines. You would be surprised (and hopefully glad) to know that the next generation of adults is not all blinded.

We have a lot to thank social media for this. While undergoing a national reform on social media, let us keep in mind that if the technology can be educational, let us increase our effort to keep it that way.

Blanket bans on social media will be undemocratic and a step backwards in the digital age we are living in.

These five reflections can be summarised in one word – hope. We should all hope that the young generation can bring change. In tandem, we should be providing them with the tools and resources to commence with such a change.

The students are tomorrow’s decision-makers; however, they are also the present hope that Malta must step up from the current (and subtle) moral crisis that we are living in.

The debate club also brings forth emotions: excitement, hope, anger, concern, frustration and wonder, to say the least. This is crucial, especially as emotions ultimately remind us of what it means to be a human – what it means to fight for something – what it means to keep hopeful.

Luke Fenech is a teacher of ethics and a casual lecturer at the University of Malta.