The Scheldemond College won the Zeeland preliminary round of the debate competition The Voice of Young Netherlands. The competition took place today, January 26, at the Zeeland provincial house. The team defeated the Lodewijk College in the final. The prize for best speech went to Nout from CSW Van de Perre. The winning school advances to the national round of 16 taking place on March 13 in The Hague. The winner of the speech competition will soon compete against all other provincial winners.
The Zeeland preliminary round took place today at the provincial house in Middelburg. Eight teams from six schools participated: Calvijn College Goes (both upper and lower grades), Christian School Community Walcheren Middelburg, Ostrea Lyceum Goes, Scheldemond College Vlissingen, and Lodewijk College Terneuzen. During the different rounds of the program, the students debated regional topics such as the growth of Zeeland and the Zeeland dialect. The national statements included topics such as a ban on social media, introduction of military conscription, and a stronger voice for young people in election results. The students also recorded a personal speech on a self-chosen topic. The best participants debated in the final with Provincial Council member Christine Govaert.
The Voice of Young Netherlands
The Voice of Young Netherlands originates from On the way to The Lower House, which has been well-known among students since 1998. This new national youth project gives young people a louder and better voice in societal debate. The Voice of Young Netherlands provides young people throughout the Netherlands a platform to make their voices heard. It is a project by The Debate Bureau and the Foundation Youth Debate and Society. All Dutch provinces are partners in the project: each province holds a preliminary round at the provincial house, with an extra day in the provinces of Gelderland, North Holland, and South Holland. The project is co-financed by the European Union and Vfonds.