HISTORY of the Debate SOCIETY

Sydney Academy was founded in 1841, and school records show evidence of a debate society early in the school's history. 

The modern incarnation of the debate program was started in the 1970s and has been coached by Harold Kyte (current vice-principal) since 1975. 

Over the past forty years, Sydney Academy has been one of the leading forces in Canadian national high school debating. ​Over 600 Sydney Academy students have been members of the debate society!

Sydney Academy founded the Canadian National High School Debate Championships in 1998 and has won the tournament twice. Sydney Academy participated in every National High School Debate Championships since its inception until recently, as teams have been unable to attend the last few tournaments due to cost of travel. 

The Academy consistently ranks as one of the top Nova Scotia high school debate teams. In one 19 year period, Sydney Academy won nine provincial titles in a row, lost one title, then won the next nine consecutive provincial championship titles afterward!

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Sydney Academy debaters have competed at the highest international level as members of the Canadian National Debate Team.  

Since 2000, Sydney Academy debaters have represented Canada at the World Schools Debate Championships in Johannesburg, South Africa (2001),  Singapore (2002), Cardiff (2006) and Cape Town (2012). SA debaters have also represented Canada at the Pan-American Debate Championships (2006 and 2011) and the International High School Tournament in Slovenia (2008). Sydney Academy was once the only public school to belong to DANEIS, the Debating Association of New England Independent Schools.