Jubilee celebrations at Bishop Cotton School for Slater Debates

Bishop Cotton School (BCS), Shimla is preparing to host its Jubilee celebrations of the Rev Dr Samuel Slater Memorial English Debates which started in 1996. The Slater debating contest was set up in memory of the first Head of the legendary boarding school, Rev Dr Samuel Slater, who was Headmaster from 1863-1885.

The prestigious tournament has grown over the years and attracts participants from some of India’s most renowned educational institutions. This year BCS will host 31 debating teams on the campus to celebrate 25 years of the inter-school competition in a four-day event starting on 17th October 2022.

One hundred and forty-five debating subjects will be thrashed out by some of the brightest children from classes 10 to 12 across eight venues in the school. Subjects ranging from: ‘physical punishment by parents’, ‘sale of human organs’ and ‘nuclear war’ to the lighter subjects of: ‘video games make you smarter ’ and ‘Bollywood is better than Hollywood’ and ‘social media is making us less social’.

Bishop Cotton School’s Director, Mr Simon Weale, said; “This event brings together and celebrates some of the best young minds in India today. The Slater debates embrace the view that life is about learning by disagreeing, in a friendly atmosphere, and that free speech is the best way to gain new knowledge and

that censorship is inimical to progress.”

The Headmaster Mr Mathew P John who was instrumental in setting up the original debates competition

in 1996 said; “We’re very excited to be holding the Jubilee celebrations after a Covid break. The debating tournament was inaugurated in 1996 as a platform for young men and women from across the country to

interact and build lasting relationships while testing their skill and wits against each other. We’re looking

forward to some very interesting debates from some talented students.”

The event is aimed at providing a significant training ground for the development of communicative

abilities of students and to create learning opportunities in which students develop proficiencies based on sound educational and communication theories.

SLATER DEBATES 2022

Schools that have confirmed participation:

La Martiniere for Girls, Kolkata

Mallinsons, Srinagar

Welham Boys, Dehradun

La Martiniere College, Lucknow

Army Public School, Delhi

Vivek High Sch. Chandigarh

St. James, Kolkata

Durga Public School, Solan

Loreto House, Kolkata

Auckland House School, Shimla