The English Debating Society of Girls’ High School Kandy takes pride in enhancing students’ skills in the realms of eloquence and persuasive communication, under the guidance of the Teacher-In-Charge Mrs. Chamari Hettiarachchi, and the Assistant-Teachers-In-Charge, Mrs. Iroshini Kariyawasam and Mrs. Deepani Hathurusinghe.

Although our school has been involved in debating since the early 20th century, a Society was only officially established in the past decade. Until the year 2021, the English Debating Society’s main focus was on honing debaters’ skills around the traditional Oxford Style of debating. However, with the recent dominance of the World Schools Debating Style (WSDC Style) in the Sri Lankan Debating Circuit, the adaptation to the new style of debating has lead to a remarkable improvement in speaker scores and the debating style of debaters as well as the considerable expansion of the Society to accommodate new and younger members, thus fostering in them a greater appreciation for language and the well-being of the world.

Despite the lack of years of experience, the English Debating Society has managed to produce young talents who have managed to secure many achievements over the years. Conducted under the Oxford Style of Debating, the debating team of Girls’ High School Kandy was placed 2nd Runners Up in the K M De Lanerolle Memorial Debating Tournament organized by Kingswood College Kandy in 2017, only to emerge victorious as the champions of the same tournament in the following year. The Debating Team has continued to maintain their legacy in the tournament to current date, placing the Runners Up on both occasions it was held since.

Furthermore, the debaters of Girls’ High School was placed 2nd in the Dr. G C Mendis Memorial Trophy organized by Kingswood College Kandy in the year 2023. In addition to that, 7 Best Speaker Awards were secured by the speakers of Girls’ High School over the years of this tournament series, proving their compelling oratory prowess.

In the years 2019 and 2020, the English Debating Society was able to effectively conduct the Junior Intra-School Debating Championship under the Oxford Debating Style, which empowered students with a platform to discuss a range of prevailing social, economical, environmental and political affairs through a battle of words. A best speaker award for each debate was also presented in this tournament in order to sustain their passion in the art of debating.

The English debating team of Girls’ High School Kandy demonstrated their much advanced skill by representing the school in Lillian Nixons Debating Championship 2022, conducted under the World School Debating Style. For the very first time, they were able to advance into the Octo final stage of an event of this model, which marked a significant triumph for the society.

The Samuel Langdon Debating Championship, executed solely by the English Debating Society of Girls’ High School Kandy, has been the crown jewel of the society since 2021 . This inter school competition strives to instill a multitude of commendable qualities pursued by any debater, by providing students from schools nation-wide with the opportunity to voice their rhetoric thoughts to glean the best possible pathway to a world where understanding and reason eclipse ignorance.