As part of the IGCSE First Language English (FLE) curriculum and in celebration of English Week, Grade 9 students engaged in a structured and intellectually stimulating debate on the timely and thought-provoking question: Should the voting age be lowered to 16? This enriching activity was thoughtfully designed to deepen students’ understanding of persuasive writing, while fostering essential skills such as critical thinking, evidence-based argumentation, and articulate communication. The art of being persuasive begins with identifying an argument, collecting facts, evaluating and presenting the evidence, and successfully convincing the readers of the argument. Persuasive writing, a vital skill in all aspects of life, is strengthened through the practice of debate. The topics were given to the students three days in advance. They were given time to research and prepare for the debate. The teams were formed based on their stance, and each group worked hard to build their arguments. The students followed the rules of debate diligently, actively listened to opposing views, and presented their arguments politely, supporting each point with relevant facts and evidence, resulting in a strong performance from both teams. However, the team that argued against lowering the voting age presented their ideas more clearly, delivering persuasive arguments that convinced the judge. This activity helped students develop important skills such as critical thinking, communication, listening, speaking, and presenting, while also supporting the development of key Cambridge learner attributes by encouraging them to be confident, reflective, and engaged. As an outcome of this activity, the students were able to write an effective persuasive article on the same.
