The 1st National Secondary School Chinese Debate Competition 2026

The 1st National Secondary School Chinese Debate Competition 2026, jointly organised by the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL) and the Tan Kah Kee Foundation, brought together talented secondary school Chinese debaters from across Singapore. To provide students with opportunities to develop their language and critical thinking skills, Peicai Secondary School formed a Chinese Debate Team comprising Secondary Three and Secondary Four Higher Chinese students to participate in this prestigious competition.

Peicaians Chinese debate team during the Preliminary Round.

The objectives of the competition were to strengthen students’ Chinese debating skills, deepen their understanding of current affairs and social issues, and nurture their critical thinking and analytical abilities. The competition also aimed to improve students’ confidence in using Chinese for public speaking and communication, while allowing them to interact with peers from different schools who share a passion for the Chinese language and debate.

Despite having limited experience in competitive debating, the students worked hard within a short period of time to familiarise themselves with debate rules and formats. They also underwent intensive training to improve their argumentation, rebuttal, questioning, and public speaking skills. Throughout the preparation process, the students demonstrated strong commitment, teamwork, and resilience.

In the preliminary round held on 16 April 2026, Peicai Secondary School achieved an impressive victory against Anglican High School with a unanimous judges’ score of 6–0. In addition, Li Kunpeng from 3EE was awarded the title of Best Speaker for his outstanding performance, clear argumentation, and confident delivery.

Debate team with the panelist during the Preliminary Round.

The team subsequently advanced to the Round of 16 held on 30 April 2026, where they faced the strong and experienced team from Hwa Chong Institution. Although the team was eventually eliminated from the competition, the students displayed courage, determination, and sportsmanship throughout the match. They remained composed under pressure and gave their best effort in representing the school. For a newly formed and relatively young team, achieving a Top 16 placing in a national-level competition was a remarkable accomplishment.

Second Round of competition against Hwa Chong Institution.

Through this competition, students not only improved their debating, communication, and critical thinking skills, but also developed greater interest and confidence in learning and using the Chinese language. More importantly, they learned valuable lessons in teamwork, perseverance, and resilience, making this a meaningful and memorable experience for all participants.