Debating Society

a series of tunnels, mud pools and streams which had to be crossed in a definite way, always the most awkward and uncomfortable. After going through this course we had to be washed down with a hose pipe.

This course was a great eye opener of what life in the Marines is really like and well worth going on for anybody who thinks he would like to join the corps as it would make his mind up one way or the other.

W.N.M.

Another field which has widened enormously in recent years is that of further education, and careers guidance work consists more and more of advising about further education rather than directly about entering work on leaving school. Inevitably the sixth former assumes that further education must mean university, but it should not always be assumed that everyone who has a sixth form education is necessarily suited for a traditional type of university training. Very many other opportunities exist either through industry or through colleges which are soon to be known as Polytechnics, which give a more practical "on the job" type of training which will lead to a degree or an equivalent qualification. In addition it is often possible to leave school, go into industry or business and later go on to university or similar institution. This can be done by a school leaver who has not managed to get into a university whilst in his last year at school and is merely an illustration of the flexibility of higher education today in this country. Full details are given in the Careers Room of courses in technical colleges up and down the country which lead to degrees, many of them the new C.N.A.A. degrees in such subjects as Business Studies, and other equivalent qualifications.

The society has been very active this term, meeting every other Saturday throughout the term. On top of this there was on external debate in the Schools Debating Competition, in which we came second to Silcoates school. At home, there have been five debates; the headmaster spoke at one, upholding his pride in Britain; and Easingwold Grammar and Modem School were our guests at the last meeting of term. In this debate, "This house would rather plant a cabbage than a rose" the Easingwold `roses' beat the St. Peters 'cabbages' by a narrow margin, after a lively debate. However, the highlight of the term was undoubtedly the second meeting, at which we debated 'This house considers that the art of management too declined". Mr. Holgate, proposing the motion, took the school as an example for his case and a lively debate was the inevitable result. Nevertheless, school spirit prevailed and the motion was lost.

This has been a good term in many ways, particularly in the marked improvement in the speakers, especially the younger ones. It has also seen an increase in the number of maiden platform speakers. This may be attributed to better motions, but choice of motions remains a problem for the committee to solve, unaided by the society.