CONSUMER Affairs and the law firm of Cox Hallett Wilkinson have joined forces to sponsor this years Junior Debate Competition.

The competition, under way for three years, is open to all children between the ages of nine and 12, from both the public and private schools, and this Saturday will find 19 teams of three children vying for places in the knock-out rounds to take place on the following Saturday. The children will test their debating skills at Southampton Glebe Primary School, where debate coach Gladstone Thompson is school principal.

Marisa Sharpe, Inspector at Consumer Affairs, was the instigator of the idea for the junior debates, and has watched the children flourish throughout the competition's three years.

"The idea arose when Karen Marshall, executive officer at Consumer Affairs, suggested we come up with something creative for the community and to assist in the promotion of the Department," said Ms Sharpe. "At that time, we partnered with the Eden Project, which deals with environmental issues. I had been watching the schools quiz, and I had always been interested in the art of debate, and thought it would be interesting to challenge younger children to debate environmental issues, because there was already a debate scheme for older schoolchildren."

Ms Sharpe first sought advice from Mr.Thompson on the logistics and organisation of debates. The competition was immediately successful, and after two years of collaboration with the Eden Project, Consumer Affairs decided to branch out in another direction.

"The programme involves more than just debates," explained Ms Sharpe. "The children do all of the public relations for the programme, including the making of the 'commercials' and appearances in the newspapers.

"They make site visits, so that they get to better understand some of the issues they will be debating. For example, one year the subject for debate was recycling, so we took the children to the recycling plant. Another year, the subject was the desirability or otherwise or mega-cruise ships, and we took them aboard a mega-cruise ship, so they could get a first-hand insight into the topic. But we try to make it fun, and so we always give the children a party."

The programme must be made interesting and educational for the large number of children who take part, but it also requires considerable effort by organisers and judges.

"We invited one of our Consumer Affairs board members, Rachel Cabot, who is with the law firm of Cox Hallett Wilkinson, to be a judge. She was so impressed by the debate, that she told her partners about the competition, and they agreed to co-sponsor the debate competition with us."

There are representatives from every primary school on the island, but they compete as teams of three junior debaters, and do not represent their own schools.

"The names are just picked out of a hat, and they become teams A,B,C and so on. The numbers of children got so big that we have had to spread it out over two weekends. This Saturday, October 9, we start at 9 a.m., and there is an opening ceremony, which will last a half-hour, and then the preliminary rounds will last until about 4 p.m.

"The best 16 teams will go forward to the finals on the following Saturday. Then the semi-finals and finals will be held on Sunday, October 17."

Given the number of children involved, and that the total complement of Consumer Affairs is four, Ms Sharpe sought the help of volunteers to liaise with the children and ensure that they attended training sessions.

"As well as Karen, our education officer Rhonda Daniels and administrative assistant Verdelle Scott have given great assistance. Some of our board members are helping as judges and timekeepers," advised Ms Sharpe, "but we also looked for other volunteers, and now we have a pool of people to draw from."

MS Sharpe graduated in Biology from Kean College, and in Medical Technology from Georgia Tech, then spent fourteen years working at the hospital laboratory before she became Infection Control Practitioner. She earned a Master's degree in Management from Webster University, which enabled her to move to Consumer Affairs, where she has enjoyed working for four years. She has gained considerable satisfaction from watching the children gain in confidence and verbal skills.

"I have seen them grow and mature," said Ms Sharpe. "When they first appear, they are timid and shy, and some even cry with frustration because it can be a difficult transition, but by the end of the programme, you just see them blossom. They become so enthusiastic and confident, and many children, after three years, they are like little lawyers!"

While that thought may give some readers pause, it is a fact that in many jurisdictions, including this one, lawyers are held to be prime exemplars of loquacity and verbal facility.

Debating has been very popular with more senior schoolchildren for many years, but Ms Sharpe believes that it has been very beneficial for the scores of children who have taken part in the programme.

"We start training the children in March, once a week after school and on Saturdays at different times between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., and we go right on through summer. I don't know how he does it, but Mr. Thompson does all of the training by himself, and the children love him.

Given the involvement of Consumer Affairs, the children will be debating whether children are unfairly targeted in the market-place, and other related topics.

"We can help educate children about consumer choices, and get some of the public educated through them, because so many people and government officials come out and hear what they have to say. We expect that Minister Dale Butler and Permanent Secretary Dr. Derek Binns will be on hand for some of the competition. There will be a prize-giving ceremony, and each child will receive a plaque to recognise their effort and participation."

Cox Hallett Wilkinson associate and Consumer Affairs board member Rachel Cabot's first involvement in the junior debating programme was as an adjudicator, and she was very impressed by the children she watched during the training sessions.

"Over time, I was able to see the amazing transformation of these children," said Ms Cabot. "I hadn't really had any dealings with children of that age, and they were really engaging, and it was wonderful to watch their personal development over a number of months. It was a well-organised event, and they were looking for co-sponsors, just at a time when Cox Hallett Wilkinson were looking to be involved in some really productive community effort, and so I discussed it with the partners and they thought it would be a very useful project for the firm to help sponsor.

"Last year, the firm got involved in helping with the party, and we had more adjudicators from the firm. Associates Andrew Jones and Megan Lewin have been very helpful, as has corporate administrator Vanessa Lewis. I won't be adjudicating this year, because my ten-year-old son is taking part. Now I have seen it from the other side, and the amount of work involved is incredible!"

Gladstone Thompson was in no doubt about the advantages conferred on children who take part in the junior debating programme.

"The children learn to think so much more clearly about what they want to say," said Mr. Thompson, "and to be conscious of the presentation of their thoughts on a topic. It's a rigorous endeavour, and teaches children, in line with Bloom's cognitive taxonomy, to analyse, synthesise, and make judgements. Every educator is trying to move children from the lower to the higher end of that spectrum.

"I coach because I love to do it. The first time I saw a real debate was in Medicine Hat, in Canada, when the Bermuda Debate Society school team took part in the world school competition.

"I had been asked to coach at Berkeley, where I was a teacher, and not knowing much about debating, I went as a spectator and I was just bowled over by what I saw.

"The teenage debaters were so articulate and informed, and I made up my mind that I wanted to help get Bermuda's children to that level. I have been involved in debating for over a decade, and I want audiences to get to see what I saw that day in Medicine Hat."