The BGDA Competition
The BGDA holds a six round debating competition, consisting of five preliminary rounds and a final, for each year level from 7-12. In order to maximise the learning potential of the competition, all rounds use unseen, short prep topics where the girls have an hour to prepare their side of a topic without access to information resources. This format pushes girls to think about complex topics in a collaborative though time pressured manner, improving participants' time management, critical thinking, speaking and teamwork skills whilst also providing them an opportunity to become world-educated learners.
In order to support participants building of these skills as well as improving their debating abilities, the BGDA has highly qualified adjudicators (many of whom have debated and adjudicated in the Australian, Australasian and World Competitions) constructively critique each debate. In a policy unique to the BGDA in the Brisbane area, the competition allocates an extensive period of time for adjudicators to not only step through their decisions but provide extensive guidance to all of the debaters as teams and individually on skills that can be applied in future debates.
The success of the girls is also recognised by the competition. Prizes are awarded to the best speaker and winning team of each year level. These are awarded based on our Competition Rules.
In order to support participants building of these skills as well as improving their debating abilities, the BGDA has highly qualified adjudicators (many of whom have debated and adjudicated in the Australian, Australasian and World Competitions) constructively critique each debate. In a policy unique to the BGDA in the Brisbane area, the competition allocates an extensive period of time for adjudicators to not only step through their decisions but provide extensive guidance to all of the debaters as teams and individually on skills that can be applied in future debates.
The success of the girls is also recognised by the competition. Prizes are awarded to the best speaker and winning team of each year level. These are awarded based on our Competition Rules.
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Schools from the wider Brisbane area are invited to register for the competition in term 1 each year. The competition occurs across terms 1 and 2. As the inherent aims of the competition are to promote and assist female excellence in debating, schools are only able to submit all-female teams. Please refer to our Constitution for further clarification of this.
Schools shall be required to pay a registration fee per year in order to cover the costs of adjudicators as well as administrative costs. This cost however is kept to a minimum in order to make it as affordable as possible for schools. Schools' debating coordinators shall also be required to agree to the Competition Rules. However, if you are either a student or school that is not in the position to pay for the registration fee, the BGDA believes that this should not be a barrier to entry. Please refer to our fee waiver policy if you wish to apply for financial assistance. |
Want more reasons why you should join the BGDA? Read our list of benefits here. |