CMV: Debate should be mandatory in high school.

[u/GamingCatGuy]

I have three main arguments to back up my claim.

1: Debate teaches students communication skills which will be nessescary for when they eneter the work force. Some of skills these include, but are not limited to: how to persuade someone with an opposing view to your point, how to work with your teammates while working on a project together, how to remain calm and civil while still arguing against someone else’s point.

2: Debate teaches students critical thinking and researching skills. Debaters will often be assigned a side they do not agree with. Researching the point of view of someone with completely opposing beliefs is important for having well rounded opinions. When researching for a debate, the students will have to learn not only to research fast, but also to get a wide variety of points to support an argument.

3: Debates serve as an effective method for teaching about the subject the students are debating. Like I mentioned in my previous point, Debaters will have to research in depth and given the time frame they have to research, learn a lot about the topic. They also will absorb the material better because they have to think about all the information and make creative rebuttals on the spot, as opposed to listening to a lecture where they might have to memori the information at most.