When debates are run by people who don't know what debates are

My students lost in the BM inter-class debate today. I didn't watch them because I was conducting extra classes for my fifth-formers. After it was over, they came up to me and told me that... they lost. I'm not upset they lost. No - what I'm angry about is how the debate went. It seems that the other side went and gave printed evidence to support their case to the judges. And my team apparently lost because they appeared to be under-prepared, and lacking in confidence.

 

This is the first time I have ever heard that evidence to judges could be accepted in a debate. I have never been to a debate competition that allows such things. What surprised me was that all three judges (BM teachers) accepted it. The highest level of BM debates that I know of in this country is the Malaysian Royals Debate between public universities, and they are very similar to the English version with the exception that it is held in BM. You never provide evidence to the judges. Even in Forensic's value debates, you show your evidence to your opponent if need be. Not carry the big fat Black's Law book and pass a copy to each of the judges.

 

And then it turns out that evidence presentation is allowed. All the other classes were doing. So is this ignorance their fault? Hardly - like me, they never heard of debates that allowed such things. So my question now is, why were they not briefed on it? Is it not obvious that they should have had some kind of briefing by the BM debate judges about this?

 

I question the integrity of this kind of debate. If they go on to inter-school debate competitions, I'm sorry but they're going to be kicked right back to school. I wonder if any of the teachers in the school have ever been to a proper debate competition before.

 

Oh, and here's another joke. For the English inter-class debate, their constructive speeches are four minutes each and the reply speeches are three minutes. In proper competitions, they are SEVEN minutes long and the reply speeches are four minutes. How much can you say to support your case in four minutes? I suppose they assume the kids aren't smart enough to stand up and talk for very long.