Publication date: Wednesday 9th December 2009
The Great Debate 2010 - Update!
Great Debate 2010 Update.
The Historical Association has been running a nationwide historical debating competition across UK schools this autumn. Students aged between 16 and 19 have been debating the question:
"Why does your local hero matter?"
Each competitor is given five minutes to present their case and then fields questions from the judges.
Heats have taken place across England, Northern Ireland, North Wales and the Republic of Ireland this autumn and the final heats will be taking place in Scotland and South Wales in January/February 2010.
If you want to take part in the Cardiff, Glasgow or Edinburgh heats taking place in Jan/Feb 2010 please contact: simon.brown@history.org.uk 0207 820 5986
The standard of the entrants so far have been incredibly high and the choices of local heroes very diverse. Podcasts were taken of the heats in Somerset, Norwich, York and London and are available on the HA website here...
The next stage is the final at Clare College, Cambridge Sat 13th March 2010. The winners of all the regional heats will compete against each other representing their local heroes in the same format as the heats. There will be a reception after the final. The final will be podcasted/filmed and made available on the HA website.
Here are the heroes (so far) that will be being represented in the final:
- Nuneaton: George Eliot
- Sheffield: Mark Firth
- Leeds: Lady Elizabeth Hastings
- London: Marie Stopes
- Shropshire: Wilfred Owen
- Birmingham/Midlands: George Cadbury
- Chichister/South of England: Anita Roddick
- Belfast: Prof Frank Pantridge
- Dublin: Tom Johnson
- Taunton/South West England: Edward Jenner
- Norwich/East of England: Boudicca
- North Wales: Betsi Cadwalader
- York: John Fancy
- Northampton: Alan Turing
- Canterbury: Walter Tull
- Isle of Wight: Robert Hooke
- Derry: John Hume
- Manchester: Lord Leverhulme
The winner of the final will receive a cash prize, membership to the Historical Association, a year's subscription to BBC History Magazine and will be interviewed for an article in BBC History Magazine.
Sponsors of the Great Debate
Our sponsor Hodder Education are providing a prize of £1,000 worth of books for the competition winners' school, and £500 worth of books to the runner ups' school. Plus 50% discount through Hodder's friends and family scheme for one year.
All finalists will receive prizes from our sponsors Yale University Press and the winner will receive a subscription to BBC History Magazine, The Historian and a cash prize.
We will be making a contribution to all finalists travel expenses thanks to the sponsorship of the examining body OCR.
For the rules and some background to the competition open the attachments below!
