Are young Londoners all switched off from contemporary politics, part of what David
Cameron recently dubbed the ‘lost generation’?
On Tuesday 20th April, sixth-formers from Ashcroft Technology Academy and across Greater London will challenge this stereotype, turning the National Theatre Studio into a buzzing hive of debate on some of the most important issues of our time.
National Theatre Studio
Participating students from Ashcroft Technology Academy could be on their way to becoming UK debating champions, should they emerge victorious in the London Regional Final of the Institute of Ideas and Pfizer Debating Matters Competition.
Having already seen off stiff competition in the South London qualifying rounds last November, the students – many of whom will be first-time voters in the upcoming election - are now bracing themselves for a greater challenge still, debating motions on burning contemporary issues such as: “The response to the 2009 MPs Expenses scandal will strengthen democracy” and “There should be no limits on artistic expression”.
The winning school will walk away with £1,000 in Hodder Education books and entry into the three-day residential UK National Finals in London taking place at the Royal Society of Medicine, London, in July.
Debating Matters is no ordinary debating competition. Renowned for being ‘the toughest debating competition in the country’ debaters will be grilled by an audience of fellow students and members of the community and an ‘X-factor style’ panel of expert judges, who will see through the spin, scrutinising their arguments to ensure they’ve done their research.
Judges are leaders in their field and will include: Jonathan Tuchner, Director of Press and Social Affairs, Arts and Business; Annette Dittert, Bureau Chief ARD studio, London; Dr Shirley Dent, Head of Communications, IPhonepayPlus; Brendan O’Neill, Editor, Spiked; Anne Fergusson, head PwC Panel; Dr Kamran Abbasi, Editor, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine; Ann Furedi, CEO, bpas; Jack Watters, Vice President of External Medical Affairs, Pfizer; Professor Simon Wessely, Head of the department of Psychological Medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London; Professor Diana Gibb, Professor of Epidemiology and Honorary Consultant Paediatrician, MRC Clinical Trials Unit; David Aldrich, Managing Director, BNY Mellon; Professor Gloria Laycock, Director UCL Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science.
