TDL has been nurturing these skills throughout the townships of Cape Town for 15 consecutive years without interruption. We are proud to say that 55% of our learners are female, and all come from disadvantaged racial groups, granting a voice to a demographic that is historically under-represented.

 

Our average speaker scores show consistent improvement throughout the year.
Adjudicators award speaker scores based on our three focal areas; content, style and strategy. Improvements in these three categories mean that learners better understand the subject matter, are more persuasive in their arguments, and better engage with arguments of their peers. The consistent improvement in speaker scores is therefore one way to tell that learners are gaining the skills that TDL seeks to give them.

 

It is also telling that: 

• Thethani speakers made up a THIRD of the South African National Debating Team in 2018.

• Thethani learners comprise the relative majority of ALL the children selected for the South African National Debating Development Academy.

• Thethani speakers make up HALF of the Western Cape Provincial Debating Team.

 

In feedback forms that we gather, learners have also indicated their appreciation of TDL. We are told that debating has definitely improved their English, that learners look forward to attending tournaments and that debating is a space that many learners derive personal value from. In a social structure where a lack of opportunities often demotivates under-privileged children, a learner’s desire to debate and improve their competence is no small matter.