Middle School Debate

Topics for the April 30th Championship Tournament: 

• Children under 14 should not use smartphones.

  • The United States should implement compulsory voting in general elections.
  • Sanctions do more harm than good
  • Abolish the Olympic Games
  • Schools should have cameras in classrooms.

Topics for March 5 Tournament: 

• Topics for January 22nd Tournament: 

  • Ban plea bargains.
  • Schools should not give grade
  • This house supports the death penalty (Varsity Only)

Topics for January 22nd Tournament: 

• This house supports genetic engineering of human embryos

• This house prefers a world in which national secession is widely permitted.

Varsity-only Topic:

• Ban Plea Bargains

2021 New York Debate League Championship

We are so proud of all our schools and students for participating in this year's program! Congratulations to the ESU NYDL Middle School Debate team from The Dalton School in New York City for winning the 2021 Middle School Debate Championship, and to all of this year's participants. Read more about this year's season.

• • New Topics

    1. The US should not develop or use lethal autonomous weapons.

    2. Dysfunctional democracy is better than benevolent dictatorship.

    3. Overall, private schools do more good than harm.

    4. Pandemic lockdowns have done more good than harm.

    
    
    Returning Topics
    1. US citizens should be required to complete two years of national service
    2. The two-party system is bad for American democracy
    3. There should be no required subjects in high school
    4. Museums and galleries should display works of art anonymously
    5. The US should implement a UBI
    6. Abolish the senate
    7. Countries responsible for the greatest share of greenhouse gas emissions should pay reparations to the countries most threatened by climate change.

• British International School of New York
• City and Country School
• Dwight School
• East New York Middle School of Excellence
• Ethical Culture Fieldston
• Garden School
• Hackley School
• Harvey School
• Hoboken Charter School
• IS 220
• LREI
• NEST +m
• Nightingale-Bamford School
• Our Lady of Good Counsel
• School for Global Leaders
• Speyer Legacy School
• The Anderson School
• The Dalton School
• The Island School (PS/MS 188)
• The School at Columbia University
• Transfiguration School
• United Nations International School
• Unity Preparatory Charter School
• West End Secondary School