KIDCS — Karume Inter-Schools Debate Championship

KIDCS · Flagship Competition

Debate Competition

World Schools · British Parliamentary · Bilingual

About the competition

KIDCS Flagship Competition

The KIDCS Debate Competition is the centrepiece of the Karume Inter-Schools Debate Championship. Since Edition I in 2022, it has brought together secondary school students from across Tanzania to argue contemporary motions in front of trained adjudicators, a live audience, and a television broadcast panel.

Rounds are contested in both the World Schools and British Parliamentary formats — the same standards used at the World Schools Debating Championship and the World Universities Debating Championship respectively. KIDCS also runs bilingual rounds in Swahili and English, reflecting Tanzania's national linguistic identity.

Teams are judged by a panel of trained adjudicators using the KIDCS scoring rubric: Content, Style, and Strategy. Scores are processed live on the judging platform and displayed on the venue screen and broadcast feed in real time.

Competition Formats

Primary format

World Schools

World Schools Debating (WSDC) brings together two teams of three speakers — Proposition and Opposition — to argue a motion across three constructive speeches and two reply speeches. Points of Information may be offered during the constructive speeches, adding a dynamic, adversarial dimension to the round.

Team Size

3 speakers per side

Speech Times

8 min constructive · 4 min reply

POIs: accepted during constructive speeches

Also offered

British Parliamentary

British Parliamentary (BP) is the format used at the World Universities Debating Championship. Four teams of two are placed across two benches — Opening Government, Opening Opposition, Closing Government and Closing Opposition — and ranked first through fourth at the end of the round.

Team Size

2 speakers per team · 4 teams per round

Speech Times

7 min constructive · no reply speeches

Teams ranked 1st–4th; points accumulate across the draw

How speeches are judged

Scoring Criteria

Every speaker is scored on three criteria per speech, totalling 100 points. Judges score independently; scores are averaged across the panel.

40 pts

Content

The quality of arguments, evidence, and reasoning. Judges assess whether claims are logical, well-supported, and responsive to what the other side has said.

40 pts

Style

Delivery, language, persuasion, and engagement. A speaker should command the room, use language precisely, and maintain appropriate pace, tone, and eye contact.

20 pts

Strategy

Structure, prioritisation, and role fulfilment. Judges reward speakers who identify what matters, manage their time well, and fulfil the strategic obligations of their position in the round.

Note: Points of Information (POIs) may earn or lose up to ±2 points per speech under the World Schools format, applied at the adjudicator's discretion.

Edition V · 2026

Applications for Edition V are open. Register your school's team, request a sponsored place, or download the full rules and format guide.