I read Alex Clark’s piece on the merits of debating (In a manner of speaking, 6 August) with great interest. Its main point came across as the ability to speak well, which struck me as particularly British. Because debating in eastern Europe is not as widespread as in the UK, and does not rest on a parliamentary tradition, when we train debaters, we focus on the basics – the use of logic, facts and respect for the arguments of our opponents. In international debating this is known as the difference between style and content. In my opinion the Brexit referendum showed that content need not be taken for granted in the UK either, even though it may be the cradle of parliamentarism. I am sure our national debating organisation would be under much internal – and perhaps external – pressure, if our prominent alumni made campaign claims as Michael Gove and Boris Johnson did.
Andrej Schulcz
Director, Slovak Debate Association, Bratislava, Slovakia
• I share Alex Clark’s passion for debating as a way of breaking down barriers between the state and private school sectors. I set up the London Junior Debating League for students in years 7 and 8 five years ago. When we started we had four schools, all private; now we have 24, a third of which are state schools, and last year the winner was a state school.
Julian Bell
Head of debating, Godolphin and Latymer School, London
• I’m saddened that a full page about the success of Team England in the World Schools Debating Championships in Germany included two references to PEN but failed to mention the English Speaking Union, which sponsored and managed the team and has been running schools debating competitions for decades – including in state schools.
Jane Bennett-Powell
London
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
