Dromana College Debate Team 2026

Debating and public speaking students have continued to represent the school impressively across a range of competitions this term.

At the Lions Youth of the Year State Final, Ethan Tangatatutai in Year 11 performed exceptionally well and was awarded the Public Speaking Award, a first for our school at this level. Although he did not take out the overall title at State level, he represented the school with maturity, confidence and skill throughout the competition and we are extremely proud of his achievement. 

The regular Debaters Association of Victoria competition is also continuing strongly. A standout performance came from the Year 8/9 team, who successfully argued the challenging affirmative case that all businesses should transition to electric vehicles by 2030. Students have continued to develop their confidence, teamwork and critical thinking skills throughout the season.

We also participated in the Debaters Association of Victoria Public Speaking Competition at St Kevin's College. Year 11 student and Debating Captain Tia Van Raay represented the school admirably, delivering a polished and engaging speech. While she did not progress to the next stage of the competition, she performed very well and was an excellent ambassador for the school.

The school also recently held its inaugural Plain English Speaking Award. Students Tia Van Raay, Ruby Williamson and Violet Bowers competed at school level, delivering thoughtful and engaging prepared speeches before also completing an impromptu speaking section. The competition requires students to present a six-minute prepared speech on a topic of their choice, followed by a three-minute impromptu speech prepared with only a few minutes' notice. Speech topics included "Oligarchy and the Erosion of Democracy", "The World's Perspective on Climate Change", and "The Meaning of Feminism". 

Violet was selected as the overall winner and progressed to the State Final at the end of the term. Unfortunately, she did not progress further, but did an amazing job representing our school. Congratulations to all students involved for their outstanding efforts and professionalism throughout the event.