Program Guidelines for support for Australia’s
Participation in the World Schools Debating
Championships and related support for debating in
schools
Overview
The Australian schools’ debating team represents Australia at the World Schools Debating
Championships (WSDC), where secondary school students compete in national teams for the title of
‘world champion’.
The selection of the five members of the Australian schools’ debating team occurs at national
championships following the completion of preliminary rounds. Representatives from each State and
Territory meet to decide the students who will represent Australia.
Australian Debating Federation Inc (ADF) manages all activities relating to Australia’s participation in
the WSDC including team selection, airfares, registration, medical insurance, uniforms and
accommodation for the five students and up to three adults to accompany them.
ADF will also conduct mentoring activities in schools helping students develop their debating skills,
especially students in rural, regional and disadvantaged schools. These activities will be managed
through the ADF state and territory affiliate organisations.
Objectives
The objectives of the funding for Australian participation in the World Schools Debating
Championships and related equity and development activities for students conducted in states and
territories are to promote and reward high student achievement and to increase access to learning
debating skills, especially for students in rural, regional and disadvantaged schools.
Funding
Funding of $223,000 is being provided to the ADF over three years (2016-17 to 2018-19) from the
Civics and Citizenship Education Program:
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$142,000 for participation in the WSDC including meeting costs for attendance, participation,
and organising and managing selection, of those students for the WSDC, and organising and
managing Australia’s involvement in the WSDC, and
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$81,000 for teaching, coaching and development activities in states and territories including
mentoring for students in rural, regional and disadvantaged schools. These schools are to be
selected by the ADF and approved by the Department. The activities are to be managed by the
ADF’s state and territory affiliate organisations. The affiliate organisations will provide budgets
to the ADF for approval by the ADF and the Department. Activities can include:
o Coaching clinics and intensive workshops (designed to enable students to quickly develop
the necessary skills and knowledge to begin debating and to provide an opportunity to
deploy and practise those skills in an environment where they can get quality feedback;
single or multiday events held in both provincial and metropolitan locations);
o Coach in residence programs (where disadvantaged schools are already participating in
debating competitions, regular coaching sessions throughout the year with experienced
trainers on school campuses);
o Competition access schemes (to reduce costs where distance or financial reasons prevent
schools from participating in existing competitions); or
o Resource development and provision projects (which seek to maintain, update, develop and
provide access to quality resources for schools to build their own debating programs).
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Ensuring Value for Money
The funding is based on a budget provided by the Australian Debating Federation Inc and agreed by
the department. It reflects previous costs. The funding agreement will require accurate financial
reporting, appropriate management and acquittal of funds, and return of any unspent monies.
Funding to ADF state and territory affiliate organisations for teaching, coaching and development
activities can be spent on:
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Reasonable travel and accommodation costs for participants to attend clinics, workshops and
competition events (eg. hiring a minibus to allow regional schools to attend debating
competitions)
Basic catering of meals during clinics, workshops and programs for participants (eg. Providing
sandwiches for lunches)
Other costs involved in hosting clinics, workshops or competition events (eg. venue or
equipment hire, printing of handouts/certificates, basic trophies etc.)
Discounting or waiver of registration fees for existing clinics, workshops or debating competition
events
Reasonable intrastate travel, accommodation and food costs for trainers and coaches involved in
programs (eg. covering the fuel costs for trainers driving to regional and remote workshops).
Where local affiliates lack the necessary institutional capacity, reasonable interstate travel,
accommodation and food costs for trainers and coaches involved in programs.
Honoraria to affiliate delegates involved in projects on either an hourly or daily basis as
appropriate (eg. payment to coaches in residence of $30 per session)
Compliance costs associated with providing particular training programs (eg. Working with
Children Checks or public liability insurance premiums)
Production and distribution costs for debating resources
Other reasonable costs approved by the Department necessary to effectively deliver the
activities.
Project
Funding will be provided to Australian Debating Federation Inc to support Australian participation in
the 2017, 2018 and 2019 WSDCs and to support teaching, coaching and development activities in
states and territories including mentoring for students in rural, regional and disadvantaged schools.
Guidelines
The Project will be funded in accordance with the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Guidelines
(CGRGs) and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
Program Contact
The Program delegate is Branch Manager, Curriculum and Students with Disability Branch,
Department of Education and Training, Loc: C50MA9, GPO Box 9880, Canberra ACT 2601.
The contact for administration and management of the Program is the Director (currently
Dr Jane Aitken), Learning Areas Support, Department of Education and Training, Loc: C50MA9, GPO
Box 9880, Canberra ACT 2601. Dr Aitken can be contacted at [email protected].
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Privacy
In administering the Program, the department and funding recipient/s are bound by the provisions
of the Privacy Act 1988 (the Privacy Act). For further information on privacy please go to our
website: http://education.gov.au/privacy. Or write to: Privacy Contact Officer, Legal and Compliance
Group, Department of Education and Training, GPO Box 9880, Canberra ACT 2601, Or email:
[email protected].
Privacy complaints may be made to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner but will
only be actioned where a complaint was made in the first instance to the department.
Reporting
The grant will be publicly reported by the Department with the ADF publicly listed reported as the
recipient, consistent with the requirements of the CGRGs.
Conflict of Interest
At the commencement of the project, the ADF will warrant that to the best of its knowledge after
making diligent inquiry, no conflict exists or is likely to arise in the performance of the project. If a
conflict arises, or appears likely to arise during the project, the ADF must notify the Department
immediately, make full disclosure of all relevant information relating to the conflict; and take any
steps the Department reasonably requires to resolve or otherwise deal with the conflict.
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