Debate Topics for High School Students

When it comes to debating, the worst thing that you can ever come across is repetition of topics, of course with a minor changes here and there. Even though there are numerous speech topics to choose from, we can't seem to make up our mind as to which of these are 'ideal' topics. No wonder there is so much of confusion in choosing the best from the list of debate topics for high school students. The rule of the thumb is simple - more interesting the topic, more enthusiastic will be the participation.

Importance of Debating

It's important to inculcate some good habits in the children in their childhood itself, and what better way to do so but to make their academic activities interesting. One such academic activity which can contribute to the development of your child to a great extent is debating. Among the numerous things that children learn from debating, the two most important ones include the art of persuasion and importance of keeping a track of current affairs. Indulging in debates also helps the child to get used to public speaking, which is one of the most important attribute of higher studies in the various parts of the world today.

Debate Topics for High School Students

The definition of high school tends to differ from one nation to another. In the United States of America, this term is used to refer to the upper secondary school which includes Grade 9 to Grade 12. (In some cases, it starts from Grade 10 and continues to Grade 12.) Taking that into consideration, the age of children studying in high school will range between 14 to 18 years. At this point of life, the child's understanding of the society is in the development phase. This fact has to be taken into consideration when compiling the list of interesting debate topics for students studying in the high school. While a topic like 'Declaring English as the main language of the world' may be a bit too easy for these children, a topic like pros and cons of euthanasia may be a bit tough for them to understand. Going through the list of debate topics for students given below will make it easier for you to understand as to what are the ideal high school debate topics for students in age group of 14 to 18.

• Does death penalty deserve a place in a civilized society?
• Is the American war on terror justified?
• Does euthanasia deserve a place in a civilized society?
• Are single-sex public schools be more effective than their co-ed counterparts?
• Should violent video games be banned?
• The influence of television on budding minds - good or bad.
• Outsourcing jobs to the developing countries.
• Is human cloning justified?
• Use of cell phones in school.
• Should grading system in schools be abolished?
• Social networking boom on the Internet.
• Is global warming an exaggeration?
• Is law a bit too soft on the celebrities?
• Are celebs easy targets when it comes to brickbats?
• Development of nuclear energy for commercial use.
• Alternative energy sources pros and cons.
• Are humans responsible for extinction of animal species from the planet?
• Media censorship pros and cons.
• Does detention actually serve the purpose?
• Is the practice of animal testing justified?

Being armed with these interesting debate topics for high school students will give your institute a definite edge when it comes to development of intellectual ability of the child. Going through this list must have given you a rough idea as to how the debate topics meant for students should be, and based on this you can come up with several new topics of your own. With so many issues of international significance happening in various parts of the world today, there should be no dearth of good debate topics for students to choose from. You just need to keep in mind that the age group you are catering to is 14 to 18 years and go ahead with the debate topics.