Five high school students are preparing to head to Wales and debate controversial issues with students from around the world.

The students have spent months training and researching their prepared motions in order to tackle questions such as should captured terrorists be treated as prisoners of war.

They will also debate whether countries should be allowed trade their Kyoto pollution quotas.

Every year students from around the globe gather to compete in the World Schools' Debate Championships. This year the competition is in Cardiff, Wales and begins Tuesday.

The ten day competition will see students from countries such as Bahrain, Botswana, England, Swaziland and the US compete for the top prize. In total 38 countries are participating in the competition.

Bermuda has been competing in the competition since 1993 and hosted the event in 1997. This year's delegation brings the society full circle with former competitors coaching the 2006 team and going as judges.

This year's team is lead by their captain, Claire Kelly. The 18-year-old recently graduated from Mount Saint Agnes Academy and will be attending the University of Notre Dame in the fall.

This is the second time Claire has been selected for the National Team.

Adrienne Smatt is also 18 and recently graduated from Bermuda High School, she will be attending New York University in September. Adrienne won the Best Impromptu Debater prize at the National Tournament last November.

Also on the team are Saltus student Adam Kiki-Charels, who is 17, and MSA student Michelle Kelly. Michelle was on the winning team at last year's National Tournament and at the age of 15 won the Best Senior Debater prize.

The youngest member of this year's team and likely one of the youngest debaters at this year's competition is Saltus student Blake Sonnenfeld.

Blake, who is 14, won the best Middle School Debater prize at the National Tournament.

Trevor Leitch, who competed in the 1997 and 1998 World Championships, is coaching this year's team while former Worlds debaters Nicholas Pacheco, Christine Mayor and Christie Hunter will be representing Bermuda as judges.

The students will be expected to compete in at least eight debates, four of which will be impromptu motions where they will only have an hour to prepare their arguments.