Eight secondary schools in Dominica have secured their positions in the highly anticipated second round of the 2026 Inter-Secondary Schools Debating Competition after a rigorous initial elimination phase. The tournament, which commenced on January 22nd, witnessed exceptional performances from student debaters addressing various contemporary issues.
St. Martin Secondary School emerged as the frontrunner with debater Shanaiyah John achieving the highest individual score of 341 points. Close behind was Wesley High School, propelled by Hephzibah Abenole’s impressive 328-point performance. Other qualifying institutions include Orion Academy (Taya Charles, 320 points), Convent High School (Sienna Andrew, 317 points), Portsmouth Secondary School (Maliah Ettienne, 302 points), Castle Bruce Secondary School (Isaac Roberts, 299 points), and Isaiah Thomas Secondary School (Kianna Aaron, 288 points).
These seven schools will be joined by defending champions Dominica Grammar School, creating an elite lineup for the upcoming debates scheduled for February 25-26 at the UWI Global Campus Auditorium.
The second round features compelling motion discussions addressing pressing social and health issues. On February 25th, Wesley High School will propose while Portsmouth Secondary School opposes the motion: ‘Parents, not schools, should be primarily responsible for disciplining students for acts of digital peer-to-peer violence committed outside of school hours.’ Later that day, Isaiah Thomas Secondary School and Convent High School will debate the same proposition.
February 26th will shift focus to public health with the topic: ‘Nutrition education is more effective than food restrictions in preventing NCDs among teenagers.’ St. Martin Secondary School will face Orion Academy, while Dominica Grammar School debates Castle Bruce Secondary School on this critical health matter.
Event organizer Trudy Christian anticipates exceptional competition, noting that participants have demonstrated thorough preparation. Christian extended gratitude to headline sponsor Josephine Gabriel & Co. Ltd. and supporting organizations including Central Cooperative Credit Union, DOMLEC, ICWI, KFC, Lindo Mart, and Dominica Social Security for their educational investment.
All debates will commence at 2:30 PM daily and will be broadcast live through Dominica News Online and EmoNews platforms, allowing nationwide audience engagement with these intellectual exchanges.