Pictured above: Dr Vanni Xuereb, Dr Therese Comodini Cachia MEP, Ms Sondos Kablan, Ms Alexia Cassar, Mrs Marlene Mizzi MEP and Mr Edward Attard Selvagi

Education Minister Evarist Bartolo praised the initiative of the English-Speaking Union of Malta to foster debating skills among local students, observing that this was “sorely needed in schools”.
Mr Bartolo was delivering the opening address during a debate between three Sixth Formers from St Martin’s College who won the ESU Malta’s Debating Academy, held last April, and two local Members of the European Parliament, Marlene Mizzi and Therese Comodini Cachia, along with Vanni Xuereb, head of the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC).

“These are the skills, attitudes and values we need to inculcate in our young people,” he said, adding that the subject of the motion to be debated was highly topical: ‘This House believes that cyber-bullying should be a criminal offence in the European Union’. His final remark was: “We are using ICT as tools but not discussing the ethics of using these tools.”

Alexia Cassar, Edward Attard Selvagi, Sondos Kablan, Giulia Palmieri, Pia Zammit, Vanni Xuereb, Marlene Mizzi and Therese Comodini Cachia

The Martinis, composed of Sondos Kablan, Alexia Cassar and Edward Attard Selvagi, were tasked with speaking in favour of the motion with the two MEPs and Dr Xuereb having to speak against. Pia Zammit, ESU Malta’s Director of Education, made it clear that the positions they were arguing did not necessarily reflect the individuals’ personal opinions.

Indeed, there were occasions when the speakers opposing actually agreed with some of the points made by the students. The format followed enabled the Proposers to speak first with the Opposers replying; the second Proposer spoke followed by the second Opposer. There were then questions from the floor and the final round of speakers with the third Opposing speaker followed by the third Proposing speaker.

After a short break the three adjudicators, Professor Clare E. Vassallo, Dr Michael Zammit Maempel and Dr Alex Grech gave their individual comments on each speaker’s contribution, and the use of Points of Information announcing that there was no overall winner.

ESU Malta Chairman Malcolm J. Naudi appealed to local schools to take the opportunity the ESU is offering to enable their Sixth Form students to benefit from the experience of participating in the Debating Academy. He thanked all those who assisted both on the day and behind the scenes, including ESU Malta Board member Philip Leone Ganado who gave additional tuition to the student team, Dr Angelo Chetcuti from the European Parliament Malta Office and S. Rausi Trading, who sponsored the Meridiana wines given as gifts.

Photo credits: The office of Marlene Mizzi MEP