Tanglin students benefit from a wide range of co-curricular opportunities that not only nurture their interests but also encourage them to step beyond their comfort zones. One such activity is debating, which saw Year 13’s Gia S and Aditi B take on the role of hosts for the National Schools Debating Challenge, held at Tanglin from 31 January to 1 February 2026.

To support the event, the students collaborated with Dialogic Debate Academy. Aditi shared, “Their involvement helped raise the standard of debate and created a more engaging experience for participants. We’re especially grateful to Pei Song, the founder of Dialogic, whose expertise and support throughout were greatly appreciated.”

So what inspired Aditi and Gia to host the event? Gia, who is also the Student Lead for Academic Edge in the senior Head Team, explained, “Debate has truly helped shape us into the individuals we are today. Our aim was to give back to the Singapore debate community by hosting a competition which brought together students from both international school and local school backgrounds in the spirit of competitive debate. Having experienced the Singapore debate scene through competitions, we wanted to create an environment that balanced the intense academic environment with an enjoyable celebration of ideas. Last year, we launched the National Schools Debating Challenge, with the aim of achieving just this. It was a riveting success and brought so many like-minded students together. This year, we aimed to facilitate that same environment for even more students across Singapore.”
 

Aditi also added, “The competition’s theme of ‘Pathways to Success’ resonated strongly with us as we prepare to take our next steps towards university. Having been part of the debate community here for over five years, the theme felt especially meaningful as we reflected on how debate has shaped our growth and ambitions. It was a great moment to reflect on that journey while looking ahead to what comes next, as well as seeing what the next generation of debaters in Tanglin can achieve.”

Thanks to their efforts, along with the wonderful support of Tanglin staff and fellow students, the event ran seamlessly without any technical hiccups. Our student volunteers played a key role in ensuring that all debating teams were in the right place at the right time, while also having the opportunity to watch several rounds themselves. We hope the experience inspires them to get involved in debating at school!