Hosted by Portlaoise College, St. Mary’s CBS secured a unanimous victory over a very strong Scoil Chríost Rí side as we opposed the motion:
This House believes the benefits of making Transition Year compulsory outweigh the drawbacks.
Our captain Harry McGree kicked off the debate with a powerful opening speech and later closed the argument with equal impact. He was deservedly named Best Individual Speaker for the CBS.
He was part of a superb team effort:
• 2nd Speaker – Jack Heffernan: Spoke on how a national mandate for TY would increase inequality and widen gaps between schools.
• 3rd Speaker – Tom Delaney: Argued that student autonomy and choosing TY is far more beneficial for genuine personal growth than forcing participation.
• 4th Speaker – Andrew Coyne: Highlighted that every student has unique needs, referencing a particular case study of a student with ADHD.
• Captain Harry also tackled the financial burden a compulsory TY would place on families.
An entertaining and engaging evening from start to finish.
We now look forward to the next round on December 9th!
