RO team among top ten at World Schools Debating Championships

Romania’s debate team ranked eighth among the 74 teams that took part in the World Championship of Debates for Students (World Schools Debate Championship), held online between July 25 and August 5.

The Romanian team included Oana Nițu (12th grade) - Mihai Viteazul National College, Ploiești; Elena Rădulescu (11th grade) - Sfântul Sava National College, Bucharest; Tania Acsinte (11th grade) - Sfântul Sava National College, Bucharest; Irina Chicuș (11th grade) - Gheorghe Lazăr National College, Bucharest; Valeriu Cărășel (12th grade) - Colegiul Național Mihai Viteazul Bucharest; and one reserve - Arina Dumitru (10th grade) - Mihai Viteazul National College, Ploiești.

The Romanian team was the only one in Europe present in the quarterfinals of the World Championships. The students stopped in the quarters, in front of the Philippines’ team.

The Romanian team also won the title of “EFL Best Team” among the 19 EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teams in the competition. Valeriu Cărășel (Mihai Viteazul National College, Bucharest) took the 8th spot in the individual EFL ranking.

The coaches who trained the national team this year consists of instructors and referees of the Romanian Association for Debates, Oratory and Rhetoric (ARDOR), many of them former members of the national team: Șerban Pitic, Diana Diaconescu, Ștefan Matei, Teodor Grama, Laura Drăgoi, Andrei Olaru, Miruna Cozianu, Eveline Dicu, and Cătălin Panțiru.

Romania has been represented at the World Schools Debating Championships since 2006. The best previous performance of the team was in 2020, when the Romanian students achieved 15th place in the general classification and 1st place in the EFL classification.

In partnership with high schools and universities, ARDOR manages over 100 debate clubs across the country, bringing together 1,600 students annually. The clubs’ activity is constant, and students take part in 20-40 events ARDOR per year. The most important one is the National Debate Forum, which takes place this year between August 25 and August 30. Approximately 40 teams from all over the country will be debating. ARDOR also provides a professional training course for teachers, accredited by the Ministry of Education.

(Photo courtesy of DifinePR)