Tasmanian Debating Union

21/10/2025

Registrations are now open for our summer development activities!

Our annual Debate Camp will be held from 10-13 January at Orana Guide Camp in Roches Beach and is open to all students entering grades 10-12 in 2026. With financial assistance available to cover the registration fee and no debating experience necessary, all are welcome and encouraged to attend - but places are limited so don't delay! Register at https://forms.gle/xAWZd2L8s7MUz1sA6 to secure your spot.

Our Junior Development Weekends cater to students entering grades 8-9 in 2026 - and we're excited to announce that for the first time, we'll be bringing JDW to northern Tasmania, with sessions taking place in Launceston on 22 and 23 November! Register at https://forms.gle/DzNcgz3GePJvAtnz9 to join us in Launceston, and at https://forms.gle/2vDjJMtfQLsBkNeEA for our southern JDW on 8 and 9 November.

17/05/2025

The 2025 National Schools’ Debating Championship (NSDC) has now come to a close. On the 11th of May, Team Tasmania set off to Sydney to compete in NSDC, which is the premier debating competition for secondary school students in Australia. Team Tasmania debated with passion, enthusiasm, and a keen eye for detail on topics across a range of issues from Abolishing the senate, supporting the use of tariffs to protect strategic industry, and creating universal school rankings. Tasmania performed incredibly well, with a unanimous victory against the Australian Capital Territory and two split decision victories against the Northern Territory and Queensland (who were the eventual runners—up of the championship). More than this, we are incredibly proud of Team Tasmania for their kindness, patience, and deep collaborative spirit. It was also incredibly exciting to see some Team Tasmania Alumni who have gone on to debating success outside of the state and who have lent their great skill and insight to the enrichment of students from their new home. Their generous contribution to debating is cause for great celebration.

We would also like to congratulate Team Tasmania member Lily Obod, who was selected to represent Tasmania in the Australian Debating Squad, from which the Australian Team to represent the nation at the World Schools’ Debating Championships will be selected.

We look forward to NSDC Brisbane in 2026!

07/01/2025

If your new year's resolution is to spend more time debating, we have great news! Registrations for our 2025 Debate Camp, to be held from 18-21 January, have been extended - and it's not too late to sign up today. Limited places remain, so grab your friends and teammates and head to https://tdu.org.au/ for more details and to register now!

Registrations are also open to attend trials for our 2025 State Debating Team, who will represent Tasmania at the National Schools Debating Championships in Sydney. Trials will be held in person in Hobart on 25 January and online on 26 January. More details, including the registration form, can also be found on our website.

The Tasmanian Debating Union is Tasmania's premier debating organisation for schools level competition, training and development. The TDU was founded in 1981 and is the sole Tasmanian affiliate of the Australian Debating Federation.

30/12/2024

We are now seeking expressions of interest for adjudicating in our 2025 Southern Schools' Competition!

Adjudicating in the TDU competition provides an opportunity for our volunteers to ponder the big questions, to mentor some of the sharpest young minds in Hobart, and to give back to the community. Prior debating experience is not required, and new adjudicators are given ample opportunity to familiarize themselves with the rules of debating before being thrown into the deep end.

If you are interested in adjudicating, or would like to know more, please look at our registration form using the link below. If you have any questions about adjudication in 2025, please contact Charlie Pilkington at [email protected].

The information you provide in this form will be used to organize and operate the 2025 Southern Schools Debating Competition. All information will be kept private and used solely for the purposes of the Tasmanian Debating Union. This form is suitable for all accredited adjudicators as well as those....

29/11/2024

The moment you've all been waiting for has arrived: registrations are now open for our summer development activities! Grab your teammates, classmates and friends and sign up now to secure your place!

For students entering grades 8-9 in 2025, our Junior Development Weekend will be held on 14 and 15 December, followed by two optional advanced sessions. Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeg_zsybCRSV_6skPoXbuHLSWJ4YCSky4a8tYcmNGs6h93Ajw/viewform.

For students going into grades 10-12, Debate Camp will be held from 18-21 January, with optional additional day-long sessions on 14 and 21 December and 4 January. Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXmz3JxlQplHNLqJ4_KGP1pFk64X1U2499oBAXalX8_RjE6A/viewform.

This summer, the TDU will once again run a Senior Development Program for students going into grades 10 to 12 in 2025. The key component of this program is Debate Camp, which will be held at Orana Guide Camp in Roches Beach from Saturday 18 January to Tuesday 21 January 2025. Debate Camp is designed...