Start in the Middle: The Case to Expand Debate to Middle Schools

Roger Li | 6 min read

If you were to ask debaters for their opinions on debate, regardless of if they enjoy the activity or not, there would still be unanimous consensus that debate teaches real-world skills offered by no other activity. Communication, critical thinking, etc., these are skills that are invaluable to any person in any career that debate cultivates. Yet, considering that these skills are so important, why are we waiting so long to start developing them? Most districts only begin offering debate in high school, but middle school is the perfect age to start debating,  when kids start to form their own opinions and establish their own beliefs. Starting debate earlier doesn’t just give students extra debate experience, it gives them ample time to truly refine the skills that debate is so admired for. If districts truly want to maximize the benefits of debate, then they should begin instituting debate programs in middle school, not just high schools. 

Creating middle school programs gives students a leg up once they enter high school competition. It is no accident that every year, most of the top teams on the circuit started competing in middle school. Not only is it a question of experience, but middle school provides a unique environment to grow and improve as a debater. Instead of being overwhelmed by homework assignments or AP tests, middle schoolers have far more extra time to spend on extracurriculars and hobbies. This is not to say that middle schoolers should spend every waking hour solely on debate, just that there is far more opportunity for improvement that high school can not offer. Furthermore, debate is simply more enjoyable in middle school. Instead of facing intense pressure every tournament to do well, there are no stakes in middle school. Students can debate for the love of the game, in tournaments where wins and losses have no meaning. Beyond just being more enjoyable, middle school is a much less competitive environment, and as a result losses are taken as discouragement but rather a reason to improve, unlike high school debate’s cutthroat nature. 

Although being a better high school debater is great, debate success is nowhere near the most important reason why middle school debate is so valuable.  As we start becoming independent in high school, we are forced to deal with more situations ourselves, and it is best to enter them already prepared by the lessons gained from middle school debate. For example, in high school, especially when taking rigorous AP courses, schools often throw students into the deep end and expect them to swim. High school requires research and writing skills that a school’s curriculum tends to overlook, leaving students to fend for themselves. Fortunately, the prep that debate demands is perfectly positioned to fill this gap, giving debaters a huge head start over their peers. Alternatively, debate teaches us to evaluate both sides of an argument, and these skills are growing ever more important in our polarized world. We are careful when taking a stance on an issue, and our careful consideration helps us better understand diverse perspectives and properly disagree on issues with others. Our thoughtful consideration leads to better decision-making skills, and our open mindedness creates better conflict resolution skills as well. Furthermore, debate teaches us critical communications skills, skills that are growing exceedingly difficult to come by in high school. Without sufficient practice, it is hard to put our thoughts into words, and this absence of communication skills leaves important discussions fruitless and redundant while making it incredibly challenging to collaborate effectively with classmates. More than just communication skills, debate also enables us to think on our feet, a necessary skill in all aspects of life. In high school, middle school debate would prepare us to write a thesis paper in class or write a banger APUSH FRQ. Later on in life, when we’re in a job interview or office meeting, we will still be using the skills we perfected through middle school debate. Lastly, and most importantly, debate and its research opens us up to social, political, and ethical issues that the world faces today. Early exposure to these issues is crucial, as middle school is the time we are developing our interests and identities. Now more than ever, the world needs well educated individuals to fight for change, and debate functions as the early blueprint to build up our civic engagement, to help us lead lives that go beyond just ourselves.

If we truly do regard debate as one of the most important extracurriculars a high schooler can do in regards to developing real world skills, then the same logic should apply to middle school as well. The lifelong benefits that debate offers now are only further magnified if provided earlier to students, and there is no reason not to do so. It is time to push debate past just high school and college, and give the next generation the opportunity to maximize the indispensable lessons debate teaches.