FIVE St Christopher’s School students are being given the opportunity to debate at a prestigious international tournament.

Believed to be the first delegation from Bahrain to ever take part in the World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC), the students are already gearing up to go to Singapore and compete this summer.

Although ‘very enthusiastic’ about the 10-day trip, the team has come across one stumbling block ‘“ the BD6,500 needed to cover costs, according to delegation head and schoolteacher David Milnes.

‘My wish to take these students to the WSDC is driven by the debating abilities I see before me,’ he told the GDN.

‘Having done it three times myself, I know these young people are of the right calibre and need to be given the ultimate challenge.

‘It would be five students and we’re allowed an observer to go, too.

‘I’ve got more than six people who would be eligible to go and would do well ‘“ so what I’m thinking of doing is asking the sixth person to come as an observer, which would be advantageous for the team.

‘That could be a very important role, but the question is whether I can persuade a student to do that when they won’t be debating themselves.’

If successful in finding sponsors to fund this first visit to the WSDC, Mr Milnes hopes to set up a Bahrain Debate Foundation, which would include students from more schools across the country.

‘We want this to be a pioneering trip and for the next one we want to hopefully open it up for more schools,’ he said.

‘We will be representing Bahrain and we are opening up a new educational opportunity for the whole island.

‘In the future, I’d want to do more show debates with more schools and open up a Bahrain Debate Foundation ‘“ an umbrella foundation taking care of students debating each other.

‘Some of my sixth formers, of their own initiative, have already set up a triangle event between Bahrain School, British School of Bahrain and St Christopher’s.

‘They organise these competitions and move from school to school, organise and adjudicate themselves.’

The WSDC takes place from July 27 to August 6 and has been running for 27 years, hosted by different countries.

The UAE, Kuwait and Qatar have all previously sent teams to the event.

For more information, or to discuss sponsorship, contact Mr Milnes on 38496287 or email david.milnes@st-chris.net.