Bermudian youngsters have convinced some Canadians that poverty is a greater evil to society than illiteracy.

They also successfully proposed that "Anatomy is Destiny''.

Bermuda High School for Girls' Christie Hunter and Warwick Academy's Christine Mayor and Jonathan Suter delivered their winning arguments during the Bermuda Junior Debate Team's recent visit to St. Andrew's College in Aurora, Ontario.

The team of seven, who returned to the Island on Sunday, were able to fit in five debates during their five-day visit.

Organisers pointed out that the visit was not strictly a tournament, but an opportunity to expose the students to new competition and a different style of debate.

Rather than using a complex technical marking scheme, the result of each debate was decided by a free vote by the audience.

In the three debates in which a pair of Bermudian students debated against their Canadian colleagues, the local team "convinced the audience of the superiority of their case''.

Christine and Christie won their debate of "Anatomy is Destiny''. Christine also paired with her schoolmate Jonathan in persuading the audience that "Poverty is a greater evil to society than illiteracy''.

Samantha Flood of Warwick Academy and Carolyn Tavares of Mount St. Agnes Academy were unsuccessful in their opposition to the motion that "Women make the best men''.

The Bermudian students also paired with their hosts for two other debates, "Soaps are for Dopes'' and "We should speak our minds''.

However, organisers noted that there was very little time for the youngsters to confer and organise their arguments.

"There was plenty of quick thinking in evidence,'' debate society chairman Terry Lister said.

"They were able to see some of the home team competing in a local public speaking competition in Toronto and pick up some useful technical know-how in the process.'' Bermuda has invited a team from St. Andrew's to visit the Island. The trip was a follow-up to the local team's visit to St. Andrew's and a team from St.

Andrew's has already visited Bermuda.

Sen. Lister said with St. Andrew's celebrating its Centenary next year, it was not known whether a team from St. Andrew's would visit the Island before the year 2000.

"What is clear,'' Sen. Lister added, "is that each member of the team learned a great deal about debating during the course of the visit and all hope to continue to sharpen their skills.'' Other students from the local team were Andrew Stoneham and Rebecca Lovell-Grant.

EDUCATION ED