Working with Teach for Australia associates

We are proud to work with Teach for Australia - an organisation dedicated to closing the education gap for disadvantaged kids (did you know that the least advantaged kids in Australian schools lag two and a half years behind the most privileged?).

Our main role with TFA is "train the trainer" - training teachers to coach debating teams and use debating in their classrooms. Sometimes we are also able to help out at an individual school - like Fairhills High School in Knoxfield, Melbourne. Recently one of our most experienced FD trainers, Lynne Featonby, and a TFA associate teamed up and coached a Fairhills junior team to its first victory! Well done to all concerned, especially the members of the team.

Partner Profile: Adult Multicultural Education Services

Over the years, many Free Debaters have had the pleasure of working with the students and teachers at AMES. They are among our most engaged and enthusiastic debaters and public speakers. We are looking forward to running another program for AMES in Term 3 this year. For 60 years AMES has helped new and recently arrived refugees and migrants to settle in to Victoria. AMES teaches English to new arrivals, but also works with the community, business and Government to develop sustainable and effective settlement solutions for the whole Victorian community. We are proud to be a small part of helping AMES achieve its vision: "full participation for all in a cohesive and diverse society".

Copperfield College Debating Day

FD ran a dynamic Oxford-style debate on the topic "That we should introduce compulsory national service for 19-year olds in Australia" to challenge budding new debaters from Copperfield College to take their oratory skills to the next level as part of an integrated Debating Day with the Melbourne University Debating Society. Young speakers from Years 7 and 8 debated in teams through a fast-flowing argument and rebuttal with minimal preparation, thinking on their feet. Impressive! This workshop was led by Kim Little, former World Champion Debating Competition winner, government policy advisor and experienced coach.

Working with AMWCHR

FD ran an action-packed workshop at the Melbourne University Law School in co-operation with the Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights (AMWCHR). Several FD trainers worked with a group of almost forty students from three Melbourne - based schools: East Preston Islamic College, Mount Hira College and the Australian International Academy.

Students warmed up with voice exercises and then spoke enthusiastically about topics such as the injustices of child labour and domestic violence to the power of social media. All students developed the confidence to speak in front of their audience – even those who were adamant they wouldn’t be able to!

FD found it a pleasure to help such passionate students take steps to fulfil their potential, and we look forward to working again with AMWCHR.

Enabling Day 2011

Free Debate's annual Enabling Day aims to build skills, enthusiasm and capacity in our membership and partner organisations.

This year's Enabling Day was attended by teachers from interested organisations, FD members and new recruits to the FD cause. 


Melodie Potts Rosevear, CEO of Teach For Australia was this year's guest speaker and we'd like to thank TFA for generously letting us their premises for the day.


FD provided an introduction to the FD method as well as sharing of powerful teaching techniques and experiences. The day also included a negotiation skills workshops and practical tips on how to engage with other parties and organisations successfully.


FD's AGM followed the Enabling Day, with both new and old faces set to lead the organisation into the next year.

Save the Date - FD Enabling Day - Saturday 17 September 2011

11.00am to 3.15 pm
Saturday, 17th September 2011
Level 1, 103 Flinders Lane, Melbourne (next to ACDC Lane)

Free Debate is a group of current and former debaters who use their debating powers for good, helping foster free and fair debate with a focus on helping the under-priveleged, under-represented, and under-prepared. Free Debate’s work ranges from assisting new migrants with public speaking and advocacy skills to working with school student debaters in some of Melbourne’s most disadvantaged schools.

FD's Annual Enabling Day is a fun interactive few hours where you will

• Learn FD's methods for coaching debating and public speaking;
• Learn some practical skills like negotiation, leadership and organisational theory;
• Meet world class debaters and coaches
• Get signed up to help with FD's fun and life-changing activities.

RSVP by e-mail

Teaching Teach For Australia

Free Debate conducted a workshop for up-and-coming teachers in the inaugural Teach For Australia intake. Teach For Australia aims to improve student outcomes in areas of educational disadvantage by attracting, supporting and training graduates to teach in disadvantaged schools. Students were identified and hand-picked as top performers from a range of university disciplines by Teach for Australia and who are now undergoing intensive training prior to working as teachers for two years.

Free Debate worked with a group of about sixty students who received interactive training in ways they can teach confident, clear, reasoned public speaking to their students. We challenged the eager cohort of future teachers with the sorts of activities they might use in turn with their own students, including small group Oxford-style debates.  Workshop participants argued passionately for and against the concept of performance pay for teachers and the introduction of a new demand-driven market-based system for school funding whereby government funding would be allocated to students in the form of vouchers which are used to pay any school.

We also provided participants with the first edition of Free Debate's Teachers' Guide. Our guide contains lesson plans, extra activities and games to use, and contact details for ongoing support which Free Debate is excited to provide these new teachers for their future endeavours in the classroom.

Free Debate would like to thank Teach For Australia for the opportunity to work with them and we wish all the future teachers well in their future classrooms!