If only Markus Lanz were as matter-of-fact and respectful as it was at the Ignaz-Taschner-Gymnasium this morning: 32 schoolchildren showed how good discussions can work in the regional competition “Youth debates” on Wednesday. They come to the Ignaz-Taschner-Gymnasium in Dachau from secondary schools, technical colleges and grammar schools from the west of Munich and the surrounding districts. Almost as many young people came to evaluate the debates, supported by eight teachers. In the south wing of the school’s third floor, all classrooms have been converted into debate rooms. The corridor has been busy with concentration since morning. People scurry back and forth here into the afternoon: for the first half of the season, the second half of the season, the evaluation, the final and the announcement.
Right in the middle: Fiona Mehmeti. She wants to do better this time. The 15-year-old had already debated in eighth grade, but only in the internal class competition at the Ignaz-Taschner-Gymnasium. But back then it was “really awful,” she says and laughs. She has resolved to learn how to debate better. “I was always quiet and said little in front of other people,” she says. Now that’s different. This year she was nominated by a teacher for the competition. She watched debating videos online and prepared. She’s still quite nervous, she says.
The participants are divided into two age groups, secondary school one, i.e. eighth and ninth grade, and secondary school two, i.e. tenth and eleventh. In the first half of the year, the older ones are about disaster control, the younger ones about school newspapers. More specifically, the question of whether school newspapers should be made compulsory in all secondary schools. Mehmeti argues against this. Together with another participant. Sitting next to them are the two representatives of the pro side. The jury sits across from you: three students and one teacher.
The four jury members sit across from the candidates. Each jury team includes a teacher.
(Photo: Toni Heigl)
Everyone has two minutes at the beginning and one minute at the end to promote their arguments. In between there is twelve minutes of open discussion. The arguments are manifold: high paper consumption, difficult financing, a shortage of teachers and possible censorship by teachers are opposed to increased media competence, cohesion and the creation of school identity. The students respond to each other, weigh up, sometimes agree. After that, the participants have to leave the room. The jury deliberates. The criteria: expertise, expressiveness, persuasiveness and most importantly: conversational skills. Then the girls come back in, get their ratings and tips for the second half of the season.
It’s often boys who can do more with speaking than with writing, says the teacher.
Adelheid Steiner-Kuttner is very happy with the competition. She teaches German and English at the Ignaz-Taschner and has been voluntarily organizing the “Youth debates” class competitions at the school for ten years. Debating is now also part of the Bavarian curriculum. From the eighth grade there are oral homework in which the children have to argue. That’s a good thing for Steiner-Kuttner. Because the debates made the German lessons interesting even for those children who might not be so enthusiastic about writing. It’s mostly boys, she says. The teacher is therefore particularly happy about students who take part in the competition. On this day, however, there are significantly more candidates in the Ignaz-Taschner-Gymnasium.
The organization of the regional competition is a major logistical effort. That’s why Steiner-Kuttner has a P-Seminar at her side this year – i.e. eleventh graders who have voluntarily decided to support the project. Some help organize, stand all over the school building in white shirts, remind them to keep to the times and show the guests where the debate will take place next. Others join the debate themselves. Among them was Fanny Kiening. The 16-year-old says she finally wanted to learn how to have a proper discussion. And it worked, she says enthusiastically. She used to cry when there was a conflict. “Now I counter and dare to speak my mind,” she says. That makes a big difference, especially at home with her parents – even if they are sometimes a bit annoyed, says Kiening.
Steiner-Kuttner is pleased about such feedback. “Then the whole thing serves its purpose,” she says. The children should learn to represent their opinions, but also to listen and discuss problems. That is enormously important. Also for democracy, explains the teacher. And it’s just fun too. After all, there are really only “people who want it” at the competition. That sets it apart from normal classes.
The finalists of the secondary level II (from left to right): Laetitia Siebner, Fanny Kiening, Sophia Schloßberger and Filine Messerschmidt.
(Photo: Foto-AG of the Ignaz-Taschner-Gymnasium (private))
Fiona Mehmeti does not make it to the final in the afternoon. The second half of the season went worse, she says. Nevertheless, she is satisfied. Her classmate Anosa Krasniqi made it and came in third in the younger group. The winners are Samuel Luber from the Carl-Orff Gymnasium in Unterschleißheim, followed by Paul Ulrich from the Gröbenzell Gymnasium. The winner of the seniors’ final also came from Gröbenzell: Filine Messerschmidt debated in first place, ahead of Sophia Schloßberger from Munich. Fanny Kiening, a woman from Dachau, once again fought her way into fourth place.
Kiening would have liked to win. Especially because of the rhetoric training that the winners of the first two places in the regional competition receive. On the other hand, she is also a little relieved, she says. Qualification, state finals and national competition? “It never ends,” she says and laughs. Well argued.