What is Debating society?

Are you interested in politics? In current global issues? Would you like to feel like a politician or a like a United Nations delegate for one day? Then you might be interested in the project course Debating Society. This is an international course, which is always taught by Mr. Höhn. He introduced this course to our school in 2011, when it used to be a working group and four years ago Mr Höhn decided to do this as project course, because the students were investing so much time in it. In this course you can learn about different models of conferences, politicians or delegates of different countries who take part in it. Additionally, you get the possibility to improve your language skills due to the fact that you speak in English and the conferences being  international and you can get to know many people from other countries such as Switzerland, France or the Netherlands.

The course can be divided into three modules that are dealt with in class. Firstly, there is an input of the UN, the different councils and the MUN conferences, which are visited very often. This year for example the whole student group visited a conference in Neuss which lasted for two days. In this conference there were different committees like the WHO (Worlds health organisation), the United Nations women council or the security council and in these councils the students debated about current political issues. Furthermore, there was a conference in Geneva in January and a conference in Schloss Neersen, which is near Krefeld. In June, there will be a conference in Alkmaar, a city in the Netherlands, where the students will live in host families.

During the conferences there are topics discussed such as “getting industrialized without harming the nature” or “equal rights for gays”.

In most casey you can even choose the council and then you can decide which country you want to represent.

One special aspect about debating is, that you do not have to write the “Facharbeit”, which everyone writes in the 11th grade, but instead you will write a so-called “briefing- book” which discusses a political issue.

If you´re interested in social and political issues, and if you like to talk in English and what’s more, want to get to know some new people, the project cours debating is the perfect match for you!