STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Principal JK Public School (JKPS) Kunjwani appreciated the brilliant debaters from Sashi Tharoor Club for conducting the online JAM session. A comprehensive list of topics was given to them in advance. Students participated with full fervour.
“Public speaking skill is the most essential skill for every child. It’s the best way to verbalize one’s feelings. From planning the line of argument to stuffing the script with invincible points, debating can prepare a student to take on any challenge life may present before him/her”, reflected the Principal.
“Debating is an art & it must be nursed with great patience and skills. It’s not engaging oneself into a full-blown argument. Instead, it calls for a compelling, strategically-designed argument rather than simply attacking the opponent blindly”, he further added.
Reflecting on the need of grooming children for debating, Ms. Harneet Kour shared, “While one may not engage oneself in a debate every single day, yet one gets the opportunity to reflect the differences of opinion and small disagreements on almost-daily basis. Debating, rather than arguing, helps children conquer a situation if practised regularly over the period of time. Instead of raising one’s voice, one should sharpen one’s line of argument and carefully choose words and expression”.
“Debating empowers students with critical thinking skills that are essential in day today life. Critical thinking is the ability to make rational and well-reasoned arguments while questioning the evidence behind a particular conclusion or stance”, she added.
“It helps you become curious about new ideas while also building a healthy attitude to questioning. It even helps an individual become more humble, as one is not going to be right all the time”, she further added.
Pitching in with her reflective probing, another debate mentor Shaveta Khajuria asked, “Have you ever experienced the feeling when you simply groped for the ideas or words? Words which you had in your mind yet failed to download from your memory. Debating can help you become a master at recollecting several topics in a jiffy”.
“From your favorite book’s plotline to complex mathematical equations, debating helps you identify your audience and choose an appropriate tone. If your tone is too formal, you’re going to distance yourself from your listeners, while being too relaxed will undermine any arguments you try to make. Planning and articulating your thoughts is an essential skill that every debater must have to produce a sharp and well-planned argument”, Shaveta added.
“Just as important is the method with which you construct your debate. Your arguments need to be coherent, and they must make sense. Good debaters keep all of these things in mind and the core elements that they have accumulated through education, that is, finding and reading sources, drafting and writing a speech, and being able to listen and confidently speak”, she further added.
Highlighting the modus operandi of the Club for the rebuttal session, another mentor Rajni Sharma shared, ” thinking outside the box, and identification of any gaps in the counter-arguments of opponent is a pre-requisite. Responding to comments and questions is an essential debating skill, as hesitating could cost an individual precious time and points. Thinking quickly prepares a debator for any situation that life presents, when time is crucial, and a decision must be made faster”.
“Good debaters can also maintain an element of composure and poise, addressing the issue at hand rather than letting it carry them away. In fact, managing our emotions is not only a useful skill when it comes to debating but also earns us respect in almost all other aspects of our daily life”, she added.
“Our presentation also plays a vital role in how we are perceived as an individual by others and how we are perceived as a debater. Speaking slowly with clear enunciation, and considering carefully the content of the speach paves the way for strong debating skills”, she further added.
Principal JKPS Kunjwani lauded the endeavours of Debate mentors for sharpening the debating skills of students. “Debating is undoubtedly an excellent school tool to encourage high order thinking skills. It teaches students to arrange their thoughts in the spur of a moment & makes them modulate their voice to the most pleasant register, while also developing their analytical and research skills”, he summed up.
