Since its establishment in 1988 the New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council has worked to promote debating in secondary schools around the country. The Council is responsible for the organisation of Regional Championships that are held throughout New Zealand each year. Teams are selected at each tournament to represent each region at the National Finals of the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research Schools’ Debating Championships held annually in Wellington.
At the NZIER National Championships, the New Zealand Schools’ Debating Team is selected to represent New Zealand at the World Schools’ Debating Championships. New Zealand has a proud record at “Worlds”, having won the tournament four times since 1988 (in 1991, 1992, 1995 and 2009).
The New Zealand Schools’ Debating Council (Inc)
Patron: Her Excellency The Right Honourable Dame Patsy Reddy, GNZM QSO DStJ, Governor-General of New Zealand
Executive Officers
President: Sam O’Grady
Vice President: Umbar Sandhu
Treasurer: Will Miller
Executive Officers: Joe Ascroft and Selena Ballantyne
Non-executive Officers: Zachary Wong and Harper Smith
Regional Convenors
- Northland: Liam Silverwood and Katey Whitehead
- Auckland: Harry Aickin
- Counties Manukau: Umbar Sandhu and Dushanka Govender
- Waikato: Harper Smith and Melissa Connolly
- Bay of Plenty: Kale Adair
- Central North lsland: Alister Hughes, Leah Aiono and Merle Chant
- Hawke’s Bay: Frankie Gross and Izzy Fraser
- Wellington: Samuel Penno and Florence Oakley
- Kahurangi / Marlborough: Bridget Scott, Andre Castaing and Lucy Jessep
- Canterbury: Meg Longley and Will Miller
- Otago: Ollie Meikle and Abby Bowmar
- Southland: Jaiden Tucker and Samuel Blackwood
Life Members
Rosemary Dixon
Alexandra Gillespie
Anna Livesey
Claire Ryan
Hayden Ryan
Dr. Andrew Stockley
Jeremy Johnson
Tim Stephens
Christopher Bishop
Josh Baxter
History of the Council
Neither the National nor Regional Championships would occur without the effort of the many volunteers who have given freely of their time to organise debating in New Zealand since 1988. For information on previous Councils, and on those who have convened Regional Championships in the past, please follow these links: