Debating

The Debating Society (DebSoc) is the oldest Society at Winchester stretching back to the eighteenth century. Although there is a don in charge, the boys are very active in organising and chairing the internal debates. We enter five or six public competitions a year including the Oxford Union, the Cambridge Union and the Durham Union as well as The English Speaking Union (ESU) and the MACE debates.

Not surprisingly this involves the pupils in a fair amount of travel to various schools and universities. Early rounds usually take place in schools in the South East followed by finals at the relevant universities or in London.

Furthermore there is a plethora of internal debates held during term time on a wide variety of issues where the boys usually adopt British parliamentary practice procedures to hone their debating and public speaking skills.

In essence Wykehamists love arguing and challenging perceived wisdom and Deb Soc is a convenient platform for such pursuits.