The 41st Sing Tao Inter-School Debating Competition is widely regarded as a premier annual event in the academic community. Over the years, it has not only nurtured countless outstanding debaters but also served as an exceptional platform for students to enhance their language proficiency and critical thinking skills. After rounds of intense intellectual exchange, four elite teams from the Chinese and English sections have emerged from a pool of 208 participating schools. They will now compete for the ultimate championship at the Grand Final on 5 May 2026.
To obtain admission tickets, please inquire with your school or complete the online registration form . Also, welcome to watch the live broadcast on the Sing Tao Debate Facebook page. We look forward to witnessing the crowning of this year’s champions with you.
Highlights of The 41th Sing Tao Inter-School Debating Competition
Introduction Sing Tao Inter-School Debating Competition is co-organised by Sing Tao Daily, The Standard and the Education Bureau, sponsored by Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) . This annual competition aims to provide all round training to improve students' language, debating, analytical and organisational skills, as well as enhancing their interest in social affairs and developing their critical thinking. Since 1984, the competition has fostered and nurtured groups of talents in school debate. The competition has become a renowned academic event among Hong Kong secondary schools.
Over the years, we received an overwhelming response from over hundreds of local and international schools. More than 10,000 students and teachers participated in each year. The competition will be held from November 2025 to May 2026 divided into English and Chinese Sections, with a maximum of 152 teams in the Chinese section and 64 teams in the English section. This year the seeding team system will be adopted again. The eight finalists of last year’s English section and sixteen finalists of last year's Chinese section can enter the competition automatically if application is submitted before the application deadline.
To encourage more participation, 'Most Outstanding Debater Award', 'Most Improved School Award' and 'Best Motion Award' will be presented again. Adjudicators briefing section will be included at the Briefing Seminar to facilitate the teachers’ adjudication and coaching.
To encourage the instant analyzing and debating skills, the 'Interrogative Debating' section will continue to run from the Preliminaries to the Quarter-Final. A 'Best Interrogative Debater' award will be presented to the student with the best outstanding performance in this session. For the 'Interrogative Debating' section, please visit Interrogative Debating Session & Award . For other award details, please visit Awards & Prizes.
