Inter-School Budget Debate Challenge
The Budget Debate Challenge is a mock parliamentary debate. Each debate round involved 4 competing teams of 2 speakers each. One team represented the Ministry of Finance while the other three represented various interest groups and stakeholders in society.
The finals of the MOF Inter-School Budget Debate Challenge was successfully held on 17th March 2010 at the Hwa Chong Institution Cheng Yi Auditorium, from 2pm to 5pm. The results of the Budget Debate Challenge 2010 are:
| Placing |
Secondary Category |
Pre-University Category |
| Champion |
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) |
Raffles Institution |
| First Runner-Up |
Hwa Chong Institution |
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) |
| Second Runner-Up |
Methodist Girls’ School |
Hwa Chong Institution |
| Third Runner-Up |
Raffles Institution |
Victoria Junior College |
We would like to express our heartiest congratulations to all finalists! If you missed the action, you can catch the highlights of the debate on Razor TV (Part 1, Part 2); or view the snapshots of the finals. More Razor TV videos on the debate can be found here.
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Secondary School Contestants |
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Pre-University Contestants |
Prizes
Each winning team received the MOF Budget Debate Challenge Trophy 2010, individual plaques and $500 in cash prizes. The first runner-up teams each received individual plaques and $300 in cash prizes. Remaining finalists each received a certificate of honourable mention. Outstanding participants will be offered an internship programme with the Ministry of Finance.
Preliminary Rounds
Fixtures and Motions
Secondary Schools - 27 January 2010, Wednesday
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This House believes that cash handouts should not be given to the unemployed
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Proposition Team 1 |
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) |
Ministry of Finance |
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Opposition Team 1 |
Nanyang Girls' High School |
Unemployed or retrenched workers |
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Proposition Team 2 |
Commonwealth Secondary School |
Tax Payers |
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Opposition Team 2 |
St Hilda's Secondary School |
Social welfare groups |
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This House will increase GST to lower corporate income tax
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Proposition Team 1 |
Raffles Girls School |
Ministry of Finance |
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Opposition Team 1 |
Hwa Chong Institution |
Consumers |
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Proposition Team 2 |
Outram Secondary School |
Companies |
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Opposition Team 2 |
Bedok South Secondary School |
Retailers |
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This House will continue to bring in more foreign manpower to grow the economy
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Proposition Team 1 |
CHIJ Katong Convent |
Ministry of Finance |
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Opposition Team 1 |
St Anthony's Canossian Secondary School |
Local Job seekers |
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Proposition Team 2 |
Anglican High School |
Employers |
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Opposition Team 2 |
Raffles Institution |
General public |
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This House will regulate executive compensation in the banking industry
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Proposition Team 1 |
Methodist Girls' School |
Ministry of Finance |
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Opposition Team 1 |
Temasek Secondary School |
Senior executives in the banking industry |
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Proposition Team 2 |
Bukit Panjang Government High School |
General public |
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Opposition Team 2 |
Dunman High School |
Free market economists |
Note: The debate motions should be treated as hypothetical, and do not necessarily reflect the views or intentions of the Singapore Government.
Junior Colleges / Pre-University - 28 January 2010, Thursday
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This House will impose a carbon tax
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Proposition Team 1 |
Hwa Chong Institution |
Ministry of Finance |
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Opposition Team 1 |
Anderson Junior College |
Companies with high carbon emissions |
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Proposition Team 2 |
Meridian Junior College |
Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR)/ Environmental Groups |
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Opposition Team 2 |
Yishun Junior College |
Consumers that need to bear higher costs resulting from the carbon tax |
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This House believes in providing Official Development Assistance (ODA) in return for economic gains
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Proposition Team 1 |
Victoria Junior College |
Ministry of Finance |
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Opposition Team 1 |
River Valley High School |
Tax Payers |
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Proposition Team 2 |
Tampines Junior College |
Companies |
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Opposition Team 2 |
SJI International |
Voluntary Welfare Organizations/ Non-Governmental Organizations |
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This House will increase CPF contribution rates to better help Singaporeans build up their retirement savings
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Proposition Team 1 |
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) |
Ministry of Finance |
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Opposition Team 1 |
Temasek Junior College |
Employers |
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Proposition Team 2 |
St Andrew's Junior College |
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) |
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Opposition Team 2 |
Pioneer Junior College |
Employees |
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This House will increase spending on global events like the F1
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Proposition Team 1 |
Raffles Instituition (Junior College) |
Ministry of Trade and Industry |
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Opposition Team 1 |
Anglo-Chinese Junior College |
Tax payers / General Public |
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Proposition Team 2 |
Dunman High School |
Tourism Industry |
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Opposition Team 2 |
National Debate Team[1] |
Ministry of Finance |
Note: The debate motions should be treated as hypothetical, and do not necessarily reflect the views or intentions of the Singapore Government.
The preliminary rounds of the MOF Inter-School Budget Debate Challenge were successfully held on 27 and 28 January 2010. The results are as follows. You may also wish to catch the action for the Secondary School or Junior College / Pre-University category here on Razor TV!
Finals
The winners from the Secondary School Category who would proceed to the finals are:
| School |
Debaters |
| Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) |
Yew Wei Li Avery
Rohan Shah |
| Hwa Chong Institution |
Chng Luey Chi
Darion Jin Hotan |
| Raffles Institution |
Chua Jun Yan
Antariksh Mahajan |
| Methodist Girls’ School |
Tabitha Lee En Ting
Nathalie Koh Jia En |
The winners from the Pre-University Category who would proceed to the finals are:
| School |
Debaters |
| Hwa Chong Institution |
Benjamin Leong Zhi Wei
Max Fu Xiang Ming |
| Victoria Junior College |
Rachel Elisabeth Ong Teng
Rio Hoe Xiang Loong |
| Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) |
Dorothy Wong Shen Jie
Yeo En Fei Walter |
| Raffles Institution (Junior College) |
Chia Boon Liang Matthias
Nicholas Quah Er Chuan |
We would like to express our heartiest congratulations to all finalists!
The finals of the MOF Inter-School Budget Debate Challenge will be held on 17th March 2010 at the Hwa Chong Institution Cheng Yi Auditorium, from 2pm to 5pm. Come support your schools and catch the exciting debates live!
Format of Debates
Judging Criteria
Teams will be assessed on the following broad criteria:
Content:
- Good quality substance to the speech
- Sound, well-explained arguments
- Relevance of speech to the motion of the debate
- Adequate evidence by debaters to justify their arguments
- Adequate use of allocated time for each speaker
Analysis:
- Logical and non-contradictory speech/argument
- Clarity and organization of speech
- Adequate assessment of the topic
- Thorough and in-depth understanding of topic
Rebuttal:
- Effective, organized and logical responses to arguments raised by the opponents
Delivery:
- Effective eye-contact
- Avoidance of distracting physical and verbal mannerisms
- Appropriately varied pace, tone and style of the speech
- Incorporation of wit and humor
Points of Information (POI):
- Use of well-delivered and effective POIs throughout the debate
- Quality and quantity of POIs offered
- Quality of response to POIs
Burden of Proof and Fulfillment of Team Roles:
- Teams should fulfill and adhere to the team responsibilities and unique team roles assigned. Failure to do so will be marked down
- Teams which attempt to make all possible arguments beyond their scope, in an attempt to crowd out the other team on their side of the debate, will be penalized by judges
Last updated on 22 Mar 2010
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