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Activity Guides

Debate: The Main Options

A reference of the main debate and public speaking options for ages 9–12 in Singapore: school, national competitions, international schools, or private lessons.

Prepared by The Editorial Team

Updated 29 September 2026

Details checked September 2026. Programmes change, so confirm with the school or provider.

In the table, CCA means co-curricular activity: a group run by a school. Some means at least one school’s own page confirms it; a note in brackets says where the page doesn’t say which age group. A dash means “not covered here”, not that the option doesn’t exist.

Activity MOE school CCA Int’l school CCA National programme or competition Private lessons
Debate Some Some (age not stated) — Yes
Public speaking Some — Yes (PESA) Yes
Model UN — Some (age not stated) — —

School-based (CCA): MOE schools

At least two primary schools run a CCA that trains pupils in debate as well as public speaking. At one, debate and public speaking are separate strands of the same club. At the other, pupils practise structured debates, and selected pupils take part in inter-school debates.

At several other schools, debate is one activity in a club built mainly around speech and drama. At least one school runs a public speaking club, in English and Chinese, with no debate. Availability varies by school, and clubs like these appear less common than some other Clubs and Societies CCAs.

School-based (CCA): international schools

At least one international school builds Model United Nations into its Grade 5 programme. It holds a yearly conference for students aged 9 to 11, alongside separate conferences for older students. Other large international schools list debating or Model United Nations among their activities, but don’t say which age groups take part. Check directly with your child’s school what is running this term.

National programmes (outside any single school)

YMCA Plain English Speaking Awards (PESA). A long-running national public speaking competition organised by YMCA of Singapore and supported by the Ministry of Education and the Speak Good English Movement. Its 2025 competition had Lower Primary and Upper Primary categories, and primary pupils took part again in 2026.

Private lessons

Available from enrichment centres and public speaking academies: for example, an introductory debate course for Primary 4 to 6, and weekly public speaking classes for children.

Not covered here

This page doesn’t cover drama, theatre or performance-based speaking, which are covered in the Performing Arts guide. Inter-school debate competitions and public speaking clubs at international schools aren’t covered here. Model United Nations at MOE schools, in national competitions and in private lessons isn’t covered either. Neither are community club courses listed on OnePA.

This page doesn’t say whether any activity is offered as a Direct School Admission talent area. Each secondary school sets its own talent areas for each year’s exercise, so check the school’s own DSA page and MOE’s DSA-Sec information.

Sources