topics for debate education system

20 Debate Topics About Education

A topic which is guaranteed to stimulate passionate debate in your class is education. After all, education issues have the potential to directly affect your students and their futures. In this post, you will find 20 debate topics about education that you can use in your debate class. These are suitable for middle school students, high school students, and adults.

Debate Topics About Education

Here are 20 debate topics about education. All the topics below are formed as a statement so ask your students if they agree or disagree with the statements below.

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70+ Engaging Education Debate Topics

By Med Kharbach, PhD | Last Update: May 16, 2024

Debates have been a cornerstone of intellectual and rhetorical development since ancient times. As educators, we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to nurture a culture of debate in our classrooms.

Besides sharpen students’ speaking and rhetorica l skills, debates also enhance their research abilities and expand their knowledge base. In this era where education discussions and educational debates are increasingly important, the art of debating becomes an essential skill for our students.

Our focus today is on a variety of education debate topics especially suited for high school and college students. These topics are designed to spark deep, meaningful discussions and challenge students to articulate their viewpoints while respecting others’ perspectives.

From the latest in internet and technology debates to thought-provoking education and learning debates, and from culturally significant social debates to the pressing political debates of our time, this post covers it all.

Education Debate Topics for Students

The purpose of this post is to share with you this collection of debate topics that you can use as prompts to deep and meaningful discussions with your students (especially ideal for high school or college students). 

For practical reasons, I organized these debate topics into 3 broad categories: Internet and Technology debate topics,  Education and Learning debate topics, Social and Cultural debate topics, and Political debate topics.

Internet and Technology Debate Topics 

This category explores a range of contemporary issues that students encounter daily. From the impact of social media to the ethical considerations of artificial intelligence, these debate topics encourage students to critically analyze the technological world they are growing up in. They provide a platform for discussing how digital advancements are reshaping society, education, and personal interactions.

1. Should mobile phones be banned in schools?

2. Should parents limit kids’ screen time?

3. To what extent can parents control their kids’ mobile devices?

4. Should schools ban/allow access to social media websites ?

5. Should teens be allowed to play violent video games, why or why not?

6. Which do you prefer: to socialize online or hang out with friends in real life?

7. Are social media websites making people asocial?

8. Spending more time online makes people dumb/smart.

9. The Internet is eliminating more jobs than it provides.

10. Using the Internet for help with homework is cheating.

11. Technology is revolutionizing our life. Yes or no and why.

12. Kids should be allowed to interact with digital technology from an early age.

13. Artificial intelligence technology encourages cheating.

14. Robots will soon take all human jobs.

15. Self-driving cars should be banned.

16. Laws still have not caught up with cyber-crimes.

Related: 70 of the most controversial topics of our time

Education and Learning Debate Topics 

This category delves into various aspects of the educational system, questioning its current state and future direction. Topics range from the value of academic degrees to the effectiveness of different teaching methods. These debates challenge students to think about the role of education in shaping individuals and consider how it can be adapted to meet the needs of the 21st century.

17. What is the real value of academic education?

18. Are academic degrees worth the pain and hassle?

19. Should higher education be totally free? Why or why not?

20. Online academic and scholarly literature should be/shouldn’t be free. Why?

21. Post-pandemic classrooms are different from the pre-pandemic ones. Do you agree?

22. 21st century teaching/education/schools/classrooms are different. Do you agree?

23. What skills should every 21st century teacher master?

24. What do you think of school segregation?

25. School staff and teachers should be allowed to carry guns.

26. Which do you prefer studying at home, in class, or in a hybrid (flipped) setting? Why?

27. What do you think about online teaching?

28. Should homework be abolished?

29. Athletics is the least important subject in school.

30. Smart students occupy the front rows in class.

31. Should Teachers have a uniform dress code?

32. Sex education should/shouldn’t be taught in schools.

33. Recess periods should be longer.

34. Standardized tests should be banned.

35. Students should be allowed to eat in class.

36. STEM subjects are more important than other school subjects.

37. Schools should/should not be given the freedom to ban books from their libraries.

38. Which do you prefer, reading a book or watching its movie version? Why?

39. Is reading non-fiction a waste of time?

Social and Cultural Debate Topics

This category includes topics that touch upon important societal themes like racial equality, gender roles, and ethical dilemmas. These debates encourage students to reflect on their values and the societal norms that shape our world. They offer a space for discussing how cultural and social dynamics influence individual and collective behavior. 

40. What do you think of defunding the police?

41. Social, racial and linguistic profiling increases crime rate.

42. Should the government control people’s choices of whether to have an abortion or not?

43. Should same sex marriage be legalized?

44. Does bad parenting contribute to teens’ delinquency?

45. Should people be allowed to wear religious symbols in public?

46. Are you with or against euthanasia and assisted suicide?

47. Are you with or against government policing of social media websites?

48. Does social media contribute to the rise of hate crimes and crimes against minorities?

49. Are you with or against social media websites collecting users personal data and selling it to advertising companies?

50. Eating meat unethical?

51. Money does not necessarily bring happiness.

52. Animals should be liberated from zoos.

53. Marijuana should/should not be legalized.

54. Women are paid less than men.

55. Dogs are the best pets.

56. What do you think of interracial marriage?

57. Drinking and smoking should/shouldn’t be banned.

58. What do you think of teen pregnancy?

59. Are you pro or against abortion and why?

60. Should people be free to choose the gender they want to identify with?

61. What’s the role of religion in our life?

62. Why are there different religions?

Political Debate Topics 

This category addresses a wide array of political topics, from the debate over democracy’s efficacy to the role of governments in regulating personal freedoms. These topics encourage students to dissect political ideologies, policies, and their implications for society. Engaging in these debates helps students understand the complexity of political systems and the importance of informed civic participation.

63. Should democracies continue doing business with dictatorships and autocratic regimes?

64. When it comes to relations with foreign countries, which comes first:national interests or human rights and ethical considerations?

65. ‘Our’ political values are universal values that every nation should embrace. Discuss?

66. Democracy is the only viable political system.

67. The Constitution should/should not include references to religion.

68. Rich countries should/should not encourage immigration.

69. Monarchies are a waste of money and resources and should be abolished.

70. Voting should be compulsory for all citizens.

71. Nationalism and patriotism are harmful to global peace.

72. Politics should not infiltrate into sports.

73. Powerful countries should be allowed to bully their neighboring countries.

74. World peace is currently at stake. Why?

75. Countries should not interfere with the electoral systems of other countries.

76. Lobbying for foreign countries should be abolished.

77. Female politicians are better than their male counterparts.

Final thoughts

By engaging in education debates on topics ranging from internet and technology to education, social issues, and politics, students not only develop their argumentative skills but also learn to approach issues with an open mind and a critical perspective. Remember, the topics we discussed are not just for classroom debates but are also educational debate topics that can lead to broader discussions and understanding.

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Meet Med Kharbach, PhD

Dr. Med Kharbach is an influential voice in the global educational technology landscape, with an extensive background in educational studies and a decade-long experience as a K-12 teacher. Holding a Ph.D. from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, he brings a unique perspective to the educational world by integrating his profound academic knowledge with his hands-on teaching experience. Dr. Kharbach's academic pursuits encompass curriculum studies, discourse analysis, language learning/teaching, language and identity, emerging literacies, educational technology, and research methodologies. His work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and published in various esteemed academic journals.

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• JUN 10, 2024

Interesting Debate Topics for College Students in 2024: Education, Technology & Politics

by Imed Bouchrika, Phd

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

Interesting college debate topics make for great student debates. Without a topic that gets each debater fired up, there will not be an interesting back-and-forth conversation filled with statements and facts. However, finding the right topics for debate can be challenging. You must retain a balance between your debate team’s interests and what the audience might find engaging.

Moreover, selecting a topic based on its controversial aspects alone cannot guarantee an engaging discussion. You will have to spend some time researching opposing views on a particular topic and find studies or data you can use to support each conclusion in research . This will ensure that the topic will be complex enough for your class to discuss and sustain a long and interesting debate.

To get you started, we have organized some of the best debate topics for college students that are highly contested in specific fields such as education, technology, science, and the environment. You can also use them as a springboard for coming up with topics relevant to a theme you have been assigned in school.

Interesting Debate Topics Table of Contents

• Environment

The skills you learn from debating are not limited to public speaking or eloquence in expressing your ideas. Preparing for a debate helps you increase your critical thinking and essay writing skills. You will also conduct research in order to support your side of the argument, which can improve your abilities to assess references and analyze data. Indeed, debate activities can be an effective way to develop the skills needed to become a modern citizen in the 21st century, including collaboration, communication, and creativity (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). Hay (2001, cited in Healey, 2012) proposed that we should dedicate elevated levels of energy to pursuits that provide the ability to sustain higher education institutions as venues for fair, revolutionary, and critical scholarship.

Teaching provides students with vast opportunities to undertake critical thinking about the world at large and this can have a long-term effect on their outlook and the possibility for social change (Wellens et al., 2006). Aside from life-long skills, statistics also indicate that debaters improve their overall academic performance. They score better on the ACT and SAT, which help their applications to prestigious post-secondary institutions (Rowlandhall.org, n.d.). Also, 90% of urban high school debaters graduate (American Debate League, n.d.) and 98.58% of debaters move on to attend college with higher chances of being offered scholarships (Rowlandhall.org, n.d.).

Debate Can Improve Academic Performance

The following debate topics for university students are prompts that you can use as a reference when looking for unique debate topics.

1. Education

There are many challenges facing the current education system that can be made hot educational debate topics. Perhaps one of the most prevalent is the student loan debt crisis, which has already amounted to $1.6 trillion (Bastrikin, 2020). Other issues in higher education include rising college tuition with the average cost of college having gone up by 143% since 1963, dropout rates, the mental health of students, and standardized testing.

Elementary and secondary education also have their share of challenges. Safety is on top of the list with discussions about arming teachers to protect their students and hiring armed security guards at schools. Other concerns include the impact of technology on children’s learning, teacher salaries, revisions in the curriculum, and healthier food choices for students. The following are education debate topics worth checking out.

• Do you need to have a college degree to get a good job?
• Should there be free college education?
• Is a college degree worth accumulating student loan debt?
• Should all student loan debt be forgiven?
• Do schools need to have armed security guards?
• Should drug testing be required in schools?
• Can performance-based funding policies help address the college dropout problem?
• Are universities causing anxiety and mental problems to students?
• Is detention effective in disciplining students?
• Should schools provide cash incentives for good test scores?
• Is it necessary to implement a healthier school lunch program?
• Should football be banned in schools?
• Should schools ban fast food?
• Are private schools better than public schools?
• Should students buy their own laptops?
• What are the best laptops for college ?
• Does homework help students learn?
• Should high school last six years?
• Will raising the dropout age be beneficial to students and teachers?
• Should schools ban the use of cellphones in school?
• Should schools focus more on math and science than art and music?
• Is LGBT+ inclusive sex education necessary in schools?
• Should teachers be paid as much as doctors?
• Are standardized tests effective in measuring a student’s abilities?
• Should schools include Religion in their curriculum?
• Should standardized testing be abolished?
• Is homeschooling more effective than traditional schooling?
• Should schools require students to study a second language?
• Should students be allowed to grade their teachers?
• Are tracking devices necessary in students’ ID cards?
• Should schools make uniforms mandatory?
• Should schools provide teachers with guns to defend students?
• Should schools teach or impose teaching a particular religion?
• Should schools be made mixed accepting both genders?
• Should schools be used to promote nationalism?

2.Technology

Emerging technologies are among the top debatable topics when it comes to technology. Ethical issues surrounding artificial intelligence and machine learning, for example, are not only controversial debate topics but also encourage students to think critically about the effects of technology on the future of work, wealth distribution, and humanity. And for those who are looking to pursue careers in information systems , this would be a great start to building a foundation of knowledge of the background of the industry.

The effects of social media on human communication and relationships and the benefits of video games are also highly relatable topics, especially for a younger audience. You will also find many interesting points of discussion on topics revolving around the internet, technology and productivity, cybersecurity, and privacy.

• Is technology increasing people’s quality of life?
• Is artificial intelligence dangerous?
• Should potential employers consider an applicant’s social media during a job application?
• Are cameras on drones effective in maintaining security in public spaces or are they a violation of privacy?
• Should humans invest in technology to colonize other planets?
• Has email improved communication?
• Do video games make us smarter or are their cognitive benefits overrated?
• Is technology making people less productive?
• Should schools use computer games for classroom instruction?
• Is technology making us more distant than connected to people?
• Should all cars be electric?
• Is technology helping people become smarter or is it making them dumber?
• Has social media improved people’s relationships?
• Should net neutrality be restored?
• Is online education better than traditional education?
• Should robots have rights?
• Is it ok to allow companies to collect information about us?
• Does classroom technology enhance learning?
• Should parents control how much time their children spend using electronics and the internet?
• Are laws able to keep up with advancements in technology?
• Is cybersecurity being overlooked by businesses?
• Are Android devices better than Apple?
• Are people spending too much money on apps?
• Does technology prevent more crime or does it enable more people to commit crimes?
• Do we still have control over technology or is it already controlling us?

Science debate topics can be as contentious as “Should human cloning be legalized" or as intriguing and philosophical as “Is there life on other planets?" or “Is reincarnation possible?"

The great thing about these issues is that they are relevant to a wide audience. As such, you can easily transform them into lively current events debate topics. You can choose topics that cover biology, psychology, genetics, and even food and nutrition. You can also tackle a problem that has become more palpable in recent years jobs at risk of automation .

• Should gene editing be allowed for the purpose of guaranteeing health?
• Should science try to revive extinct creatures?
• Is the world better off with or without genetically modified food?
• Should animal testing be allowed?
• Do we need to make immunization mandatory?
• Should a person own their DNA?
• Will it be beneficial to expand stem cell research?
• Should organ procurement from a deceased person be allowed without the need for consent?
• Should human cloning be legalized?
• Is it necessary to increase lifespans?
• Should we encourage people to opt for homeopathic medicine?
• Is behavior determined only by our genes?
• Are vaccines risky or safe for children?
• Should marijuana be considered medicine?
• Is there life on other planets?
• Should there be stricter regulations on fast-food chains when it comes to food nutrition?
• Should we blame fast-food restaurants for obesity?
• Is it necessary to include nutrition classes in elementary and high school lessons?
• Are antidepressants effective?
• Are humans causing animal extinctions or it is a process of evolution?
• Is evolution a theory or a fact?
• Should we ban trans fat?
• Is transgender a reality or a gender disorder?
• Do we need to have different treatment approaches to psychiatric disorders compared to physical diseases?
• Is reincarnation possible?
• Is pedigree breeding an unethical practice?

4. Politics

Election-related subjects are very popular debate topics because of the upcoming U.S. elections. These include topics like “Should the Electoral College be abolished?" and “Is the voting system in America democratic?"

Another top debatable topic is gun control. You can further drill down into this issue by focusing on laws that aim to make it more difficult to purchase guns. You can also tackle the issue of allowing concealed handguns or justifying the ownership of automatic weapons.

When it comes to political debates, issues around immigration in the U.S. are always a pressing concern. Some of the topics you can start with include DACA, refugees in the U.S., and migrant workers. Political debate topics is one of the best debate topics for students.

• Should there be stricter gun control laws?
• Is Brexit a wrong move?
• Should churches and religious institutions pay taxes?
• Is there a need to retrain police officers on how to use force?
• Should Social Security be privatized?
• Is freedom of speech even relevant in a functional society?
• Can owning an automatic weapon be justified?
• Is patriotism doing more harm than good when it comes to international relations?
• Should the penny remain in circulation?
• Do electronic voting machines make the electoral process more efficient?
• Is the voting system in America democratic?
• Should election day be made into a holiday?
• Should the Electoral College be abolished?
• Is Universal Basic Income a good idea?
• Should the U.S. lift all sanctions on North Korea and Iran?
• Do we need to place limits on the First Amendment?
• Should there be 24 jurors in a jury instead of 12?
• Should discussions about politics be avoided in school?
• Is the four-year presidential term too long or should it be extended to six years?
• Should taxation laws be amended to require rich people and companies to pay more taxes?
• Are illegal migrants criminals?
• Should the drinking age be lowered?
• Do we need to lower the voting age to 16?
• Is it time to abolish all monarchies in the world?
• Is it a fact that dictatorship can work for certain countries?
• Is the U.S. not accepting enough refugees?
• Is there a need to make national public service compulsory?
• Should concealed handguns be allowed for all adults?
• Is the DACA good for America?
• Should the U.S. maintain daylight savings time?

5. Environment

Aside from debate topics about education, climate change is perhaps the first issue that comes into mind when people think of good debate topics. This is because people are experiencing firsthand warmer temperatures and other changes such as severe weather or storms. A survey conducted in February 2020 among American adults revealed that 49% of respondents claimed to see warmer temperatures in their own region. This was up from 42% in the previous year (Tiseo, 2020).

Aside from climate change, you can also opt for topics that do not receive as much mainstream attention but are as equally important. Organic farming, plastic packaging, energy-saving appliances, and tourism are just some of the interesting topics you can explore.

• Is global warming fact or myth?
• Should governments start banning plastic bags and plastic packaging?
• Are humans to blame for global warming?
• Should the export of live animals be banned?
• Is overpopulation a threat to the environment?
• Should governments invest in alternative sources of energy?
• Can a vegan diet fight global warming?
• Is the Paris Agreement still relevant?
• Can we still reverse climate change?
• Are non-chemical cleaning products worth the cost?
• Should countries dedicate more land to national parks?
• Can alternative sources of energy be effective substitutes for fossil fuels?
• Should we explore solar geoengineering to fight climate change?
• Are zoos doing more harm than good to the environment?
• Should fracking be banned?
• Can organic farming be a sustainable method of food production for the future?
• Should we put a stop to the sale of fur?
• Is tourism beneficial to an environment? Should tourism be banned in order to protect the environment?
• Should the government impose more tax on carbon emission to companies?
• Can clean energy drive America’s economy to recovery?
• Are investments in reducing carbon emission worth the money?
• Has the Basel Convention been effective in preventing hazardous waste exportation?
• Are energy-saving life bulbs really helping the environment?
• Should we raise gasoline prices to encourage the shift to energy-efficient cars?
• Should we ban mining to protect the environment?

A good debate topic is where an issue is nearly 50:50 between for and against a premise.

U.S. Global Warming Impacts Observed Among Adults 2019-2020

With literally thousands of social issues on the table, it can be hard to make up your mind on which one to discuss. Many of these topics also crossover to technology, politics, education, and other areas. This means you have complex topics that can be a good start for a long and intellectually charged debate. After all, intellectual debate topics make for good testing grounds for learning and assimilation. The more intellectual the topic, the more it contributes to your library of stimulating debate topics.

• Is atheism better than any religion?
• What age should a kid get a phone ?
• Should the U.S. abolish the death penalty?
• Is censorship on the internet justified?
• Should we legalize euthanasia?
• Will electronic databases totally replace traditional libraries?
• Should all women have access to abortion?
• Can censorship sometimes be warranted?
• Should drug use be considered a mental health problem or a criminal offense?
• Will nationalism benefit or endanger countries in the context of globalization?
• Can peer pressure be a good thing?
• Should marijuana be legalized?
• Should gay people be allowed to adopt children?
• Can graffiti become a highly regarded art like classical paintings?
• Is the #MeToo movement already out of control?
• Should sex work be legalized?
• Are people too reliant on their smartphones and computers?
• Should alcoholics be allowed to receive a liver transplant?
• Does religion do more harm than good?
• Should feminism focus more on men’s rights?
• Are children with broken families disadvantaged?
• Should insurance provide coverage for cosmetic procedures?
• Is botox doing more harm than good?
• Are we living in a dystopian society?
• Should couples live together before getting married?
• Is it necessary to raise the minimum wage?
• Should smoking be banned?
• Is there too much pressure in society to have perfect bodies?
• Can stricter gun control prevent mass shootings?
• Should the government provide free birth control?
• Are photoshopped images producing unrealistic views and standards for beauty?
• Which is more important? Hard work or talent?
• Should parents be allowed to use corporal punishment?
• Should the government raise taxes on food products with high sugar content?
• Are beauty pageants doing more harm than good when it comes to gender equality?

Choosing Your Debate Topic

As you have seen on our list of top debatable topics, there are many interesting and controversial options to choose from. Many of them can also be fun debate topics. They can all be reframed to better match the level your team is debating—middle school, high school, or college level. As Oulton et al. (2007, cited in Bruen et al., 2016) stressed, protagonists on opposing sides of an argument may have similar materials or knowledge but may expound on them in contrary fashion, or may establish their opinions on diverse angles of the same materials. In essence, they form the basis of argumentative debate topics.

If the debate is for a class project, it is best to choose engaging debate topics that are not only interesting to you but also something that all your classmates can benefit from discussing. A topic that is current or has huge relevance to your school or community can also work well. Be sure to allot some time to research if there are major studies or current surveys available on your prospective topic. This can make it easier to back up your arguments with empirical data; thus, leading to a more engaging and objective debate and enabling you to surmount anyone’s false beliefs that cannot be changed by facts .

Finally, we recommend avoiding topics that are likely to be too personal for other students in your class and topics that are very personal to you as well. This is because as a debater, you must be ready and open to others criticizing your opinions. If the topic is too personal for you, you might not be able to perform at your best during the debate. So, when choosing a topic, ask yourself if you can handle a rebuttal without feeling personally attacked.

Key Insights

• Importance of Topic Selection : Choosing the right debate topic is crucial for engaging and meaningful discussions. A balance between the interests of the debate team and the audience is necessary for a successful debate.
• Research and Preparation : Effective debates require thorough research and understanding of opposing views. This helps in formulating strong arguments supported by data and studies.
• Skills Development : Debating helps students develop critical skills such as public speaking, critical thinking, essay writing, and research. These skills are essential for academic success and personal growth.
• Impact on Academic Performance: Participation in debates has been shown to improve academic performance. Debaters often score better on standardized tests and have higher graduation and college attendance rates.
• Wide Range of Topics : Debate topics can cover various fields, including education, technology, science, politics, environment, and society. This diversity allows students to explore and engage with multiple areas of interest.
• Engaging and Controversial Issues : Selecting topics that are controversial and relevant to current events can make debates more engaging. Issues like artificial intelligence, climate change, and social media's impact are examples of such topics.
• Long-term Benefits : Beyond academic performance, debating fosters lifelong skills and can positively impact students' outlook on social change and critical scholarship.
• Why is it important to choose the right debate topic? Choosing the right debate topic is important because it ensures that the discussion will be engaging and meaningful for both the debaters and the audience. A well-chosen topic can stimulate interest, encourage thorough research, and lead to a more dynamic and informative debate.
• How can researching opposing views improve a debate? Researching opposing views helps debaters understand different perspectives and formulate stronger arguments. It allows them to anticipate counterarguments and provide well-supported rebuttals, making the debate more balanced and comprehensive.
• What skills can students develop through debating? Debating helps students develop several key skills, including public speaking, critical thinking, essay writing, and research abilities. These skills are valuable for academic success and personal development, preparing students for future challenges.
• How does participation in debates impact academic performance? Participation in debates has been linked to improved academic performance. Debaters often perform better on standardized tests like the ACT and SAT, have higher graduation rates, and are more likely to attend college and receive scholarships.
• What are some examples of engaging debate topics? Engaging debate topics can cover a wide range of fields such as education, technology, science, politics, environment, and society. Examples include the impact of artificial intelligence, the effectiveness of standardized testing, and the ethical implications of gene editing.
• Why are controversial issues suitable for debates? Controversial issues are suitable for debates because they often have strong arguments on both sides, which can lead to more dynamic and thought-provoking discussions. These topics can also be more engaging for participants and audiences alike.
• What are the long-term benefits of participating in debates? Long-term benefits of participating in debates include the development of critical thinking skills, improved research abilities, and enhanced public speaking confidence. Additionally, debating can positively influence students' perspectives on social issues and encourage lifelong learning and engagement.

References :

• American Debate League (n.d.) Benefits of debate. AmericanDebateLeague.com .
• Bastrikin, A. (2020, April 12). Student loan debt statistics. Educationdata.org .
• Bruen, J., Crosbie, V., Kelly, N., Loftus, M., Maillot, A., McGillicuddy, A., & Péchenart, J. (2016). Teaching controversial topics in the humanities and social sciences in Ireland: Using structured academic controversy to develop multi-perspectivity in the learner. Journal of Social Science Education, 15 (3), 18-25. http://doras.dcu.ie/21422/
• Healey, R.L. (2012). The power of debate: Reflections on the potential of debates for engaging students in critical thinking about controversial geographical topics. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 36 (2), 239257. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2011.619522
• Rowlandhall (n.d.) The benefits of debate. Why supporting high school debate is a worthwhile project.  Rowlandhall.org .
• Statista Research Department (2016, October 20). Most watched presidential debates in the United States as of 2016, by number of households. Statista .
• Tiseo, I. (2020, April 15). Climate change impacts seen among U.S. adults in 2019 and 2020.   Statista .
• Duncan, A. (2012, April 12).  The Power of Debate—Building the Five “C’s" for the 21st Century . Washington, DC: US Department of Education .
• Wellens, J., Berardi, A., Chalkley, B., Chambers, B., Healey, R., Monk, J., & Vender, J. (2006). Teaching geography for social transformation. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 30 (1), 117-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098260500499717

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30 Controversial But Good Debate Topics For High School Students

Are you searching for thought-provoking and engaging debate topics for your students? Look no further! In this article, we have compiled a list of 159 very good debate topics that will challenge and stimulate discussions in your classroom. Whether you’re a teacher, student, or parent, these topics will surely pique your interest and inspire critical thinking.

Debate Topics For Students

In this section, we will explore a variety of controversial debate topics that are perfect for students to discuss and analyze. These topics range from issues within schools such as cell phone usage and dress codes, to larger societal issues like social media’s impact and the death penalty.

Each sub-section will provide thought-provoking debate questions and keywords to help guide the discussion. So whether you’re looking for an ESL activity or a stimulating classroom debate, these topics are sure to engage and challenge your students.

1. Should Cell Phones Be Allowed In Schools?

• Research the Policy: Investigate the cell phone policy in both public and private schools to understand the current regulations.
• Evaluate the Pros and Cons: Consider the impact of cell phone usage on student learning, safety, and social interactions.
• Collect Data: Gather statistics and studies about cell phone usage in schools to support your arguments.
• Consider Alternative Perspectives: Explore the viewpoints of parents, teachers, and students through debate questions on platforms like Kialo Edu .

Pro-tip: Use this topic as an engaging ESL activity by encouraging students to debate the issue using their English language skills and critical thinking abilities.

2. Is Social Media More Harmful Than Beneficial?

Social media’s impact on mental health is a topic of concern, particularly among younger individuals. The debate on whether social media is more harmful than beneficial raises significant points.

Users, including white people and individuals of other races , are affected by cyberbullying and negative self-comparison. On the other hand, it provides connectivity and a platform for activism. Balancing these aspects is crucial.

3. Should Schools Implement Dress Codes?

• Public schools: Assess the existing dress code, gather feedback, and involve students in the decision-making process.
• Private schools: Research the rationale behind dress codes, evaluate the impact on students, and consider alternative approaches.

When debating this topic, students can explore the impact of dress codes on self-expression, examine cultural and gender implications, and discuss the balance between individual freedom and school discipline.

For ESL activities, encourage students to articulate their viewpoints, use debate questions from educational platforms like Kialo Edu, and foster critical thinking skills.

4. Is Homework Necessary?

For the debate topic ‘Is Homework Necessary?’ considering teens’ daily leisure time is crucial. College Vine suggests that homework should be meaningful, original, and not just busy work. Public libraries are excellent resources for teens to conduct research and gather evidence to support their arguments on this topic. Understanding how homework affects teens’ lives is essential, as it sparks interest and impacts their academic performance.

5. Should The Voting Age Be Lowered To 16?

In Scotland, the voting age for Scottish Parliament and local council elections was lowered to 16 in 2015. It allowed 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in the Scottish independence referendum, marking a historic democratic expansion. Should other countries model after this?

• Research the current voting age laws in your country.
• Understand the impact of lowering the voting age on government structure and policies.
• Consider the maturity and responsibility levels of 16-year-olds in making informed decisions concerning national matters.
• Analyze the potential implications of the voting age on other age-restricted activities, such as same-sex marriage and drug legalization.
• Review case studies from countries where the voting age has been lowered to 16.

6. Is Climate Change A Hoax?

Climate change is not a hoax, evidenced by scientific consensus and observable phenomena. In the United States, government structures have implemented policies to mitigate its impact. This topic sparks intense debate, reflecting the relevance of environmental issues. Just as same-sex marriage, drug legalization, and other controversial topics, the urgency of climate change demands attention.

The relevance of the topic is crucial, influencing its significance in modern discourse.

7. Should The Death Penalty Be Abolished?

• Research the history and impact of the death penalty on society.
• Evaluate the ethical and moral implications of capital punishment.
• Analyze the effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent for crime.
• Consider the financial and social implications, such as the cost of legal proceedings and the impact on families.
• Examine the societal impact, including potential biases in sentencing and the concept of rehabilitation.
• Explore the concept of a livable wage and its implications for society.

8. Is Gun Control Necessary?

Yes, gun control is essential for public safety and crime prevention. It’s a hotly debated issue in the United States due to its government structure and constitutional rights. Finding a balanced approach is crucial, similar to the deliberation on same-sex marriage or the legalization of drugs.

One true story that aligns with this discourse is the advocacy for stricter gun regulations following tragic mass shootings, reflecting the ongoing debate on this pivotal topic.

9. Should College Education Be Free?

Whether college education should be free is an engaging debate topic for students. Considering College Vine data, 79% of teens love to know they can access higher education without financial constraints. It’s a pertinent topic, given that students spend their daily leisure time at public libraries , and original sources indicate the rising cost of tuition. To encourage critical thinking, students can research and organize arguments, preparing for an insightful discussion.

10. Is Online Learning As Effective As Traditional Classroom Learning? (Keywords

The effectiveness of online learning compared to traditional classroom learning has been a topic of debate. Both methods have their own advantages, with online learning offering flexibility, accessibility, and a wide range of resources.

Traditional classroom learning , however, allows for face-to-face interaction and immediate feedback. The effectiveness of each method may vary depending on individual learning styles, subjects, and teaching approaches.

11. Universal Basic Income (UBI)

The debate over Universal Basic Income (UBI) centers on whether providing a fixed income to all citizens, regardless of employment status, is an effective strategy to alleviate poverty and reduce income inequality. Proponents argue that UBI can offer financial security and address economic disparities, while opponents express concerns about feasibility, economic sustainability, and potential disincentives to work.

12. Climate Change Policies

This debate delves into the adequacy of current global initiatives to combat climate change. Advocates argue for more ambitious policies, emphasizing the urgent need to address environmental issues, while skeptics may question the feasibility, economic impact, and effectiveness of proposed measures.

13. Is the trade-off between convenience and online privacy justified in the digital age?

The debate on online privacy revolves around the balance between the convenience of digital services and the protection of individuals’ privacy.

Supporters of a more permissive approach argue that convenience is essential for technological advancements, while privacy advocates stress the importance of safeguarding personal data in an era of increasing digital connectivity.

14. School Uniforms need to be enforced for students benefits

Supporters argue that uniforms promote equality and reduce distractions, while opponents emphasize the importance of students’ freedom to express themselves through clothing.

15. Censorship in the Arts

Should there be limits on artistic expression, and to what extent should art and media be censored Advocates for censorship may emphasize societal values and protecting audiences, while opponents argue for artistic freedom and the importance of diverse perspectives in creative works.

16. Social Media Regulation

Should governments regulate social media platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation and protect user privacy? Supporters of regulation highlight the need to curb the spread of misinformation and protect user privacy, while opponents may express concerns about potential infringements on free speech and innovation.

17. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Are genetically modified foods safe for consumption, and should they be more widely embraced to address global food security? The discussion on GMOs focuses on the safety of genetically modified foods and their role in addressing global food security. Advocates argue that GMOs offer solutions to food scarcity and agricultural challenges, while critics raise concerns about potential health risks, environmental impact, and ethical considerations.

18. Mandatory Voting

Proponents argue that mandatory voting ensures broader representation and a more engaged electorate, while opponents may express concerns about individual freedoms and the potential for uninformed voting.

19. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Should there be ethical guidelines and regulations for the development and use of artificial intelligence The discussion on artificial intelligence delves into the ethical implications of AI development and use.

Advocates for regulation stress the need to address potential risks, biases, and accountability issues, while proponents of a less restrictive approach may emphasize the benefits of technological advancement and innovation.

20. Affirmative Action

Is affirmative action in college admissions a fair and effective way to address historical inequalities?

Affirmative action is a contentious policy that seeks to redress historical disadvantages faced by certain groups. The debate centers on whether this approach is justifiable and successful in promoting diversity in educational institutions or if alternative methods should be considered to address inequality.

21. Space Exploration Funding

Should governments invest more in space exploration, or should those funds be allocated to address pressing issues on Earth?

The allocation of resources for space exploration is a perennial debate. Advocates argue that space exploration drives scientific innovation, while opponents question the prioritization of these endeavors over more immediate and pressing concerns on Earth. This debate delves into the balance between advancing human knowledge and addressing critical issues on our planet.

22. Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide

Should individuals have the right to choose euthanasia or assisted suicide when facing terminal illnesses?The ethical dilemma surrounding euthanasia and assisted suicide revolves around individual autonomy, the sanctity of life, and medical ethics.

This debate explores the extent to which individuals should have the right to make end-of-life decisions, considering the implications for personal autonomy, medical ethics, and societal values.

23. Animal Testing

Using animals in scientific research raises ethical concerns regarding animal welfare and the necessity of such practices. Advocates argue that animal testing is crucial for medical advancements, while opponents advocate for developing and implementing alternative methods.

This debate delves into the balance between scientific progress and the ethical treatment of animals. Is animal testing justified for scientific and medical research, or should alternative methods be prioritized?

24. What level of gun control is appropriate to balance public safety with individual rights?

Gun control debates revolve around finding a balance between individual rights to bear arms and the need to ensure public safety. Advocates for stricter gun control measures argue that they are necessary to reduce gun violence, while opponents emphasize the importance of protecting individual liberties. This debate explores the nuanced relationship between personal freedoms and societal safety.

25. How should the education system be reformed to better prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century?

The ongoing debate on education reform centers on the need to adapt traditional educational models to meet the demands of the 21st century. Discussions often revolve around curriculum changes, the integration of technology, and the fostering of critical thinking skills. This debate explores how educational systems can evolve to prepare students for an ever-changing world.

26. Should countries have more open or restrictive immigration policies, and how should they address the refugee crisis?

Immigration policies are a global issue, with debates surrounding national security, economic impact, and humanitarian considerations. Advocates for more open policies emphasize cultural diversity and economic benefits, while those favoring restrictions focus on cesources and national identity. This debate delves into the complex balance between humanitarian efforts and national interests.

27. To what extent does the use of social media contribute to or alleviate mental health issues among young people?

The pervasive use of social media among young people has sparked discussions about its impact on mental health. Advocates argue that social media provides a platform for connection and support, while critics highlight its potential adverse effects, such as cyberbullying and unrealistic body image standards. This debate explores the nuanced relationship between social media use and mental well-being.

28. Is nuclear energy a viable and safe alternative to fossil fuels, or should we focus more on renewable energy sources?

The debate on nuclear energy centers on its potential as a clean energy source and concerns about safety and environmental impact.

Advocates argue that atomic energy can significantly reduce carbon emissions, while opponents express reservations about the potential for accidents and the long-term effects of nuclear waste. This debate explores the trade-offs between addressing climate change and ensuring energy production safety.

29. Should the start times of high schools be adjusted to better align with students’ sleep patterns and well-being 

The debate on school start times revolves around the impact of early start times on students’ sleep patterns and overall well-being. Advocates for later start times argue that they contribute to improved academic performance and mental health, while opponents question the logistical challenges and potential disruptions to family schedules. This debate explores the intersection of education and student health.

30. Privacy vs. Security – What should be our focus?

Balancing individual privacy rights with national security measures in the age of technology. Advocates tend to argue that privacy is a fundamental human right that should be protected against unwarranted intrusion.

Proponents emphasize the necessity of robust security measures to safeguard citizens from various threats, including terrorism and cyberattacks.

Where can I find varied viewpoints on controversial issues?

Websites like 5 Star Essays and The Top Tens offer lists of debate topics with varied viewpoints. You can also look for articles and resources from reputable sources to gather different perspectives on an issue.

Can students participate in group discussions on controversial issues?

Yes, group discussions can be a great way for students to explore controversial issues and hear different perspectives. You can facilitate a respectful and productive discussion by setting ground rules and actively listening to others’ viewpoints.

Key Takeaways:

• Debate allows students to explore varied viewpoints and engage in ongoing discussions, providing a valuable learning experience for both public and private school students.
• Debate helps students develop critical thinking skills, gain new perspectives, and engage in important discussions on social topics such as drug tests and government assistance.
• Preparation is key for a successful debate – from choosing a topic and conducting research to organizing arguments and practicing delivery. Debate topics range from controversial issues to everyday concerns like cell phones in schools and homework.

That’s it for our guide on broad, controversial debate topics that are good for students. You can delve into each topic in more detail and of course adjust each debate topic for relevance and appropriateness depending on the maturity and age of your students.

David Unwin

These Five Issues Are At The Heart Of All K-12 Education Policy Debates

In education, we don't always talk about what we're really talking about.

The next four years offer the prospect of renewed debates about many aspects of public education policy. As we watch this new batch of fireworks launch, it will be useful to remember that virtually all of our debates are the outgrowth of four fundamental issues.

How To Fund Public Education

In the U.S., we like the idea of public education, but we don’t much care for funding it. Our use of real estate taxes to fund education has guaranteed that folks mostly pay for school for their own neighborhood, wealthy or not-so. There are some state-level mechanisms to help equalize that, but not all are effective .

Critics of public education often cite the increased costs of public education , but at least some is the result of slowly, reluctantly, providing better funding for previously underserved populations. And we’re still not there; for Pennsylvania alone, recent estimates are that nearly $5 billion are needed to fully fund all public schools. Sometimes the inequities are between districts, and in some cases, inequities exist within districts (e.g. the Pinellas County district in Florida that first segregated its students, then segregated the dollars that went to them ). Throughout our history, many white citizens have resisted mechanisms that require them to finance education for Black students ( Schoolhouse Burning and Overturning Brown are just two books from 2020 that lay out some of that ugly education history). Segregation of students and of finances has been a problem in our past, and we have not solved it in our present. On top of that layer the fact that some students, for a variety of reasons, simply cost more to educate than others.

Many reform initiatives of the past decades have declared themselves about “making schools better” or “reducing inequity” while the rest of that statement—”without spending more money”—remaining unspoken. The argument is that spending more money won’t help, and while it’s true that spending the money badly will not help, the research is clear— school funding matters when it comes to student success.

Vouchers and charter schools are both attempts to look like we’re addressing educational inequity without actually spending any more money. “Let the money follow the student,” is the slogan, and it completely skips over the question of whether the money is enough. The blanket is not big enough to cover the bed, but school choice advocates argue that by cutting the blanket up, moving the pieces around, and perhaps setting up some extra cots, the too-small blanket will become large enough to cover everyone. Meanwhile, there’s no serious research to indicate that choice schools do more with less .

The funding issues also affect teachers, because teachers are the major cost in education. So we see frequent attempts to lower labor costs in education. Have Teach for America style staff that turns over every few years. Create pedagogy-in-a-box programs that don’t require a trained teacher to deliver. Replace part or all of the staff with computerized programs—especially shiny new ones with AI. It all cuts costs.

All of it comes back to a fundamental issue. The U.S. system demands a Lexus on a Kia budget, and many of our citizens really don’t want to pay to educate Those Peoples’ children. This desire to do school on the cheap serves to limits the range of solutions considered for every single problem in education. As long as we are unwilling or unable to say that we will pay whatever it takes to create a top-level education system that serves every student, these debates will continue.

Equity and Justice; Race and Religion

We have many, many ideas about equity and justice in this country, with new rounds of old arguments opened in recent years. Under Betsy DeVos, the department began “efficiently” closing out complaints related to race, and reversed Obama-era guidance meant to address racial inequity in school discipline. At the same time, she has shifted focus to what she perceives as a different brand of inequity —that related to religion . Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue has further eroded the wall between church and state and paved the road for more use of taxpayer dollars to fund private, religious schools.

Both of these debates about fairness and justice—religion and race—are roiling in the country right now, and public schools are always a reflection of society. A Biden administration is far more likely to focus on trying to right historic and systemic inequity for BIPOC students, but the Trump administration has installed a wide net of judges who are seen as more sympathetic to conservative causes. We are likely to see initiatives aimed at addressing injustices, both real and perceived, promoted through a variety of avenues.

A nation’s schools don’t exist in a vacuum. Every single argument we have in our world about justice, equity, values, racism, and decency is going to spill over into schools, and that’s going to be reflected in policy debates.

How To Read Students’ Minds

This is a challenge for every policy maker and every classroom teacher—how do you know what students have actually learned?

All of assessment is about trying to design an assessment task that will show us what the student did or did not grasp. The list of factors that can interfere with these acts of hopeful psychic divination is long. The student may not understand the task. The student may simply be distracted or focused on other factors. The student may run afoul of the medium through which she’s supposed to show her stuff; she may have trouble writing papers, or multiple choice questions might throw her. Or the assessment task itself may be poorly designed.

This is a daily challenge for teachers, but it becomes even more troublesome when policy makers start talking about “accountability.” For the past few decades, reformers have wanted to measure both what is in students’ brains and how much of it a particular teacher put there in a particular year. What they’ve settled on is an annual battery of multiple choice questions about reading and math. It is not a great instrument , but policy makers (and people who write about policy) have pretended that it is a real proxy for “student achievement ,” and that they can use special formulae to find out how much teachers contributed to that cranial content.

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At all levels, the desire to have a solid answer to “how well is this working,” is natural, right and normal. But just as you can’t know exactly what your in-laws think of you, how your boss really feels about your last conference, and why your partner is still with you, you cannot ever know exactly how much learning has been packed into a students’ head. It’s a question we have to ask over and over, but we can never have absolute faith in the answer we get, and we must keep looking for better ones.

How Much Versus When

We know two things for certain in education. 1) Every student has her own pace and speed to work. 2) The system wants students to acquire certain learning by deadline.

Both are true, and both cannot be the foundation of the system. So we end up telling students, “Your job is to get to Cleveland from New York City. You can use any means of transportation that you have access to—drive, fly, bike, walk if you wish—and take any side trips along the way. But you have to get there in twelve hours.”

From time to time, there is a revolt against the idea of seat time . If a student can grasp the educational goal in three months, why make her sit in class for nine months? And if a student has sat in a seat for nine months, does that really mean she’s learned anything at all? Why not come up with a master list of Things To Learn and as soon as the list is checked off, send the student home?

The debate involves many educational issues, but the current pandemic mess has highlighted one real reason we don’t do this—sending students home from school on a varied and unpredictable schedule creates a whole new set of problems for families.

Nevertheless, the idea of alternatives to seat time will continue to be a debate partly because it has merit and partly because it is an opportunity for many folks to make money. Competency based education , various forms of personalized learning , and any edu-product that can have AI attached to it are hot growth industries. Remote learning during the pandemic has intensified the attention to the seat-time versus mastery debate; expect that debate to keep raging.

What Do Students Need To Know

The advent of Common Core turned “college and career ready” into a well-worn educational cliche, and yet, all these years later, we don’t really know what it means. What exactly does a student need to know or be able to do in order to be college and career ready? Is there a list of knowledge and skills that is essential to every student, whether she intends to be a welder or a physician or a banker or an author or a stay-at-home mom?

Common Core pretended to know the answer, but it was simply the answer that the writers of Common Core thought should be correct. There is no research base, no peer-reviewed study, no repository of scientific evidence to show a list of qualities and capabilities that are a requirement for a good, successful, happy life. We probably can’t even agree on what those three terms mean and if they all belong in that sentence.

We have always argued about what an education is for. There is always pressure for schools to focus on employable skills, to crank out meat widgets and worker bees to better satisfy the needs of business, but that, of course, is precisely the sort of education that wealthy and privileged parents would never settle for when it came to their own children. Shouldn’t education be about more than job training?

What is the point of school? We don’t debate this as often as we should, but our differing opinions about the answer underlie most of our other education policy debates.

These five fundamental issues are the foundation of every K-12 education policy debate, even if they remain unspoken (the “let’s keep it cheap” argument, in particular, is the quiet part that folks rarely want to say out loud). Our choice is to address them directly, or to just haggle at the margins. We’ll see what the future holds.

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125 Good Debate Topics for High and Middle Schoolers in 2024

April 2, 2024

What’s the most common phobia in the US? Snakes? Planes? Insects? Public speaking? Ding, ding, ding! If you chose the latter, you’re right on the money. According to an article from The Washington Post , 28% of responders fear public speaking above all else . While public speaking may be scary, it is a necessary and useful skill that benefits students in high school and beyond. Accordingly, one way for high school students to develop their public speaking skills is through the age-old activity of public forum debate, tackling hot-button debate topics from the use of ChatGPT on schoolwork to whether TikTok should be banned. (Fun fact: the art of debating dates back to the lessons of Socrates ! How’s that for time-tested?)

Debate provides the perfect opportunity for all students to practice essential life skills such as conducting research, structuring logical and persuasive arguments, and learning how to grapple with complex current issues. Additionally, debate can help build confidence, foster collaboration with peers, and enable students to become well-informed members of society. And who knows? A successful high school career on the debate team might just inspire a future career in public policy , international relations , or law .

What is the best topic for a debate?

Great question! The ideal debate topic should have relevance to students’ lives , be complex enough to sustain a lively discussion , and have a wealth of supporting “pro” and “con” evidence and data for students to draw upon to support their claims.

Before you choose a topic, you might want to do some preliminary research to see what is available. Remember, you can get creative! For example, if your topic is “Students should be allowed to wear pajamas to class,” you may have a hard time finding studies on that exact subject. Howevever, by researching similar topics, such as “ effect of clothing on productivity ” or “ effect of clothing on mental state,” you’d find a wealth of information to start building your argument.

Now that we’ve covered the essentials, let’s get into some great debate topics for high schoolers (and some debate topics for middle schoolers, as well!).

Education Debate Topics for High School

• Colleges should eliminate the use of standardized tests like the ACT and SAT for determining admissions.
• Schools should allow students to use ChatGPT when writing essays and completing assignments.
• All public schools should adopt a universal pass/fail grading system.
• School districts should allow their libraries to ban certain books.
• All students should have free access to higher education.
• Students should be allowed to wear pajamas to class.
• Students would benefit from a shorter school day.
• Schools should eliminate physical education requirements.
• All students should take a financial literacy course prior to graduating.
• Schools should permit teachers to carry firearms for self-defense.
• Teachers should prohibit the use of cell phones during school hours.
• High school classes should start later in the morning.
• Health classes should be eliminated and left up to parents.
• Schools should teach basic survival skills.
• Schools should downsize humanities and arts departments in favor of STEM departments.
• The Pledge of Allegiance is a form of propaganda.
• Period products should be available for free in school bathrooms.

Government Debate Topics for High School

• The government should lower the voting age to 16.
• The US should adopt a universal healthcare system.
• Censorship is sometimes justified in a democratic society.
• Hate speech should be protected under freedom of speech laws.
• The government should provide reparations for slavery and systemic racism.
• The US should implement a carbon tax to help combat climate change.
• The United States should take steps to disarm its nuclear arsenal.
• The US should abolish the electoral college and move to a popular vote system.
• The government should allow prisoners to vote.
• We should revise our penal system to focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment.
• Everyone should be required to serve in the military.
• Every state should have a sanctuary city.
• Prisoners should only be allowed to stay on death row for one year.
• We should abolish public access to the sex offender registry.
• Parenting education should be mandatory.
• The government should abolish religion-based federal holidays.
• State and federal investigators should not be allowed to use DNA from genealogy databases.
• Stay-at-home parents should receive compensation from the government.
• Undocumented immigrants should have a clear path to amnesty.

Science and Technology Debate Topics for High School

• It is the responsibility of social media companies to regulate hate speech on their platforms.
• The government should ban the use of facial recognition technology in public spaces.
• The government should hold social media companies responsible for overseeing the spread of misinformation on their platforms.
• The government should regulate the use of social media to protect user privacy.
• All social media companies should disclose what user data they’re collecting, and how it’s being used.
• Social media is hindering our ability to form meaningful connections with others.
• There should be an age restriction on using social media sites.
• The government should create guidelines for AI regulation to prevent widespread job loss in the workplace.
• The government should have the power to regulate the content of online platforms such as TikTok and YouTube.
• Sites like Twitter and Reddit should do away with anonymous posting.
• We should require social media influencers to disclose sponsored content.
• Artists who use AI to create their pieces should be banned from art contests and competitions.
• Car companies are responsible for self-driving car accidents.
• Electric cars are not sustainable.
• Parents shouldn’t be allowed to post photographs of their children online without their consent.
• You should be allowed to record anyone at any time, with or without their knowledge.

Health and Bioethics Debate Topics for High School

• The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports is never ethical.
• The use of GMOs should be banned from all agriculture.
• The cloning of humans is ethical.
• The government should legalize all drugs, and tax them as it does cigarettes and alcohol.
• Pharmacies should sell birth control over the counter.
• We should ban animal testing for medical research.
• Authorities should prohibit doctors from prescribing placebos to patients.
• The US should legalize physician-assisted suicide.
• We should require genetic testing for all newborns.
• Patients should have the right to refuse medical treatments.
• The government should regulate the use of pesticides and other chemicals in agriculture.
• The government should mandate vaccines.
• The US should invest more in renewable energy resources to combat climate change.          
• Mail-order abortion pills should be available in every state.
• All restaurants should be required to print calorie counts on their menus.
• IVF embryos should be considered children.
• Embalming bodies should be banned.
• We should resurrect extinct species.                                                                                

Business Debate Topics for High School

• The government should increase the minimum wage.
• Universal basic income is necessary for a fair society.
• The government should ban unpaid internships.
• The government should regulate cryptocurrencies as they do other monies.
• The government should provide incentives for companies to hire more women and minorities.
• Companies should be required to disclose their gender pay gap.
• The U.S. should adopt a flat tax system.
• Companies’ boards should meet a set diversity quota.
• All companies that are able should transition to a work-from-home model.
• The government should provide financial incentives for companies to go green.
• We should require companies to provide at least three months of paid parental leave to their employees, regardless of gender.
• The government should force companies to disclose their carbon footprint.
• Everyone should tip 20% at food service establishments.
• Those who choose not to have children should be awarded an equivalent amount of paid leave.
• Millionaires should be required to donate a certain amount of money per year to charitable organizations.
• Commercial fishing should be banned.
• Fashion companies should not be allowed to manufacture clothing overseas.

Pop Culture Debate Topics for High School

• Reality TV portrays a distorted version of reality.
• Binge-watching TV shows is harmful to our mental health.
• Video games should have restrictions on the content they portray.
• Cosplay is a form of cultural appropriation.
• It is unethical for actors to play characters of different races and ethnicities.
• Award shows like the Oscars should have a diversity quota they must meet.
• Cancel culture is doing more harm than good.
• Celebrities should be held to a higher standard of behavior than the general population.
• Rap music is a positive influence on society.
• The paparazzi is harmful to celebrities’ well-being.
• Graphic novels are not literature.
• Genre fiction is less valuable than literary fiction.

Fun Debate Topics

• It is better to be well-versed in multiple topics than a specialist in one.
• Emojis should be allowed in formal correspondence.
• It is better to have the power of teleportation than that of invisibility.
• Exclamation points have become overused in text and email.
• Fast food restaurants should have a mandatory vegan option.
• Natural talent is more important for success than hard work.
• Cereal is technically a kind of soup.
• Pineapples belong on pizza.
• Marvel is a better superhero franchise than DC.
• Toilet paper should be rolled over, rather than under.
• Retired fashion trends should not return.
• Hot dogs are sandwiches.

Debate Topics for Middle School

• USDA regulators should ban junk food from school cafeterias.
• School should take place year-round.
• Schools should permit students to select classes based on their individual interests, rather than require all students to take the same classes.
• Schools should require students to complete a set number of volunteer hours in order to graduate.
• Single-gender schools are better than co-ed ones.
• The US should raise the driving age to 18.
• Children should earn a fixed amount for doing chores.
• Students should grade their teachers, too.
• Video games are a useful learning tool.
• Schools should not have a dress code.
• Teachers should not be allowed to give homework.
• Pageants and beauty contests are harmful.
• Pets should not be allowed at restaurants.
• Recess should be required at all middle schools.

I’ve got my topic, now what?

Once you’ve selected your debate topic, it’s time to prepare. Preparation for a debate involves some key steps, all of which are necessary to ensuring your argument is as sound and convincing as possible.

Putting Together a Successful Debate Argument, Step by Step

1) conduct your research ..

Read widely and smartly. As you go, take organized notes, marking down the sources of each—these will be pivotal later, when you’re building your argument and require points of reference. Research the counterarguments you find as well.

2) Organize your thoughts in a coherent manner .

Look over the data you’ve collected and decide your stance. Firstly, you should be able to articulate your position in a single, simple sentence. Then, create an argument that progresses logically. What do you feel are the strongest arguments for your position? You might consider placing your strongest or most thought-provoking argument last so that it is freshest in your listener’s mind.

Additionally, to help your listeners follow along, use signposts to indicate the direction of your claim. (Think of this as building your thesis. “In this argument, I will cover points A, B, and C.”)

3) Write out what you want to say .

Outline the main points of your stance. Under each section, bullet point key pieces of evidence that support your claim. Once you have that, see if you can summarize the bullet point using a single word or phrase. This way, when you’re in the heat of the moment, you can glance down and use that phrase to spark your memory.

4) Anticipate what your opponents might say .

This is essential to crafting a foolproof argument. Firstly, try to look at the debate from the opposing team’s side. Then, ask yourself: If you were arguing from their side, what points would you make? What is the rational counterargument to your claim, and how can you refute it? Where possible, you want to preclude any chance your opponent might have of catching you off-guard.

5) Practice !

Run through what you want to say, and run through it again. Get out the recorder and listen to a recording of yourself. Does your argument make sense? Practice for speed, clarity, and flow. In addition, memorization will help you get rid of any jitters you might have in the moment.

Good Debate Topics—Final Thoughts

In conclusion, debate is an excellent way for high schoolers to hone their communication skills. Moreover, by implementing the strategies outlined here, students will be better prepared to tackle debates with confidence, assured that they’ve put in the work to convey their ideas effectively and with success.

• High School Success

Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook  A Great Dark House  (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

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How To Encourage Learners To Write Letters: Everything You Need to Know

Building vocabulary in kids: everything you need to know, implementing differentiated instruction: everything you need to know, ‘nickel boys’ review: ramell ross breaks free of reform-school tropes, but loses the plot in the process, random values in pointers, apple’s new mac mini might be coming with some design compromises, how ‘industry’ put rishi through hell in its ‘most intense’ episode yet, why americans stopped moving, more and more big companies say ai regulation is a business risk, today’s wordle hints, answer and help for sept. 2, #1171, 120 debate topics for your classroom.

Are you looking for debate topics that you can use in your K-12 classroom? Don’t worry we have you covered. In this article, we will list 120 debate topics, separated by subject area.

Education-Related Essay Topics

• Should homework be banned? Or is it a vital part of our studies that teaches us how to work independently?
• Is home-schooling better than learning at school?
• Should tablets be allowed at school?
• Is college education essential and useful?
• How do standardized tests improve education in your country and around the world?
• Should students have to wear school uniforms? Or should they have a choice?
• Should knowledge of at least one foreign language be required at university?
• The benefit and detriment of early admissions policies in tertiary institutions.
• Should electoral colleges be canceled?
• Should all college applicants be required to do a period of community service?
• Should athletes be paid for playing on college and university teams?
• Should school last all year?
• Should elementary school students wear uniforms?
• How are art and music classes useful at school?
• Should physical education be compulsory?

Science & Technology-Related Topics

• Are smartphones safe for us?
• Is Google the best search engine? Or should we use another one?
• Should children have smartphones?
• How can science and religion coexist?
• Are people with mathematical minds more successful?
• How has television brought about cultural decadence in our country?
• Is traditional study less effective than online study?
• The benefits and hazards of genetically modified children.
• Is space travel worth the cost economically?
• Should we travel to Mars?
• How can science progress without animal testing?
• Can the law keep up with the internet technology of today?
• What are the benefits and drawbacks of fully automated cars?
• Should man merge with machines to create biological hybrids?
• Is technology harmful to the future? Or is it the driving force?

Health & Medicine-Related Topics

• Is euthanasia justified?
• Should smoking be allowed in public?
• Should sportspeople be allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs?
• Should recreational marijuana be legal?
• Can the legalization of drugs reduce organized crime?
• Should vaccinating children be law?
• How does the internet influence our health?
• Discuss a medical phenomenon or several phenomena.
• Should health insurance be obligatory?
• How is technology hazardous to human health?
• Is alcohol consumption that harmful?
• What is the impact of air pollution on our health?
• Should antibiotics be banned or not?
• The pros and cons of alternative medicine.
• Why do some parents refuse to vaccinate their children?

Sociology, Psychology, & Ethics-Related Topics

• The pros and cons of adoption, and why parents should adopt children rather than have their own.
• Should adults have the right to carry dangerous firearms?
• Why should same-sex marriage be legal?
• Can we receive fulfillment and happiness from religious belief?
• Should abortion be legal?
• Is there any actual proof of the existence of God?
• Should sex work be legal?
• How can violent behavior be explained to school students?
• How has psychology developed over the last few decades?
• How do moral values differ between social groups?
• Do poor role models in the family cause mental disorders in children?
• Is hunting ethical?
• Should learners study ethics at school?
• Should cigarettes be outlawed?
• How do social groups influence behavior in children?

Policy & Finance-Related Topics

• Is it necessary to preserve the rights for different forms of intellectual property?
• Do our votes really matter?
• Is taxation good or bad?
• What determines our country’s financial stability?
• Will we soon have a woman president?
• Is the repeal of anti-sodomy laws important for national development?
• Can banks be trusted?
• Is mobile banking safe?
• Will we still be using credit cards in five years?
• Can education be free around the world?
• Should learners be taught financial management at school?
• Should a fee-only standard be adopted for financial advice?
• Are wars profitable?
• Can financial problems destroy a country?
• Should the voting age be lower?

Leisure-Related Topics

• Which is better: games or television?
• TV or books: which is more interesting and useful?
• Should social networks be available for children of all ages? Or should they be restricted to 18 years and older?
• Are social networks beneficial or harmful to society?
• Should alcoholic drinks be available to people younger than 21 years old or not?
• Does social media make people less sociable? Or is it useful to society?
• Is art therapy a useful tool for treating mental illness ?
• How does music help reduce stress?
• Should video games be used in education?
• Is listening to music good for pregnant individuals?
• Are science clubs at school suitable for student leisure?
• Are movies helpful educational tools?
• The benefits and drawbacks of going to a circus with children.
• Are concerts good or bad for us?
• What role do games play in early education?

Environment-Related Topics

• What are the best ways to preserve nature and save the environment?
• Should animals be tested on for scientific achievements and breakthroughs?
• How will our cities look in two centuries?
• What causes global climate change, and what can we do to reverse its damaging effects?
• How can environmental catastrophe be prevented?
• Why should all plastic packages be banned?
• Why should people do more to protect wildlife?
• Is solar energy more expensive?
• The risks and benefits of being a vegan.
• Is reforestation an effective tool for combating the problem of global warming?
• Oil drilling in wildlife refuges.
• Vehicle fuel economy standards.
• Are zoos ethical?
• Should people get paid for not cutting down trees?
• Should there be special taxation for international aviation?

History-Related Topics

• British and Haig generalship during the war.
• Is history important?
• Did Genghis Khan do more good than harm?
• Is King Arthur entirely fictional? Or did he really exist?
• Was the Soviet Union responsible for inciting the Six-Day War?
• What was Britain’s Role in the First World War?
• Should all immigrants be required to pass a historical test? Are historical tests unimportant?
• Was Newton the one to first discover the effect of gravitation? Or was it Haitham?
• Historicism vs. Presentism.
• Were the Ancient Romans prudes?
• Did South Korean provocations incite the Korean War?
• Did the United States provoke Japan into war?
• The Revolutionary War.
• What are some alternative historical views regarding the Second World War?

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125 Winning Debate Topics for Middle School Students

Teach students to make effective arguments.

When students learn to debate, they gain valuable life skills. Debates teach kids to research their topic, make informed choices, and argue effectively using facts instead of emotion. This list of middle school debate topics encompasses both serious and lighthearted ideas for kids ages 10 to 14. Each topic includes a link to an article from a reliable source that provides pros and/or cons to help kids make their arguments.

School and Education Debate Topics

Technology and entertainment debate topics, life and ethics debate topics, fun and funny debate topics.

• Controversial Debate Topics
• It’s better to be good at academics than to be good at sports.
• Homework should be banned.
• Schools should require all students to wear uniforms.
• We should punish students for using curse words.
• Year-round school is better for students.

• Schools should require physical education (gym class) through 12th grade.
• All students should be required to volunteer in their community.
• Junk food should be banned in schools.
• All middle school students should learn a foreign language.
• Single-gender schools are better for students.
• Math is the most important school subject.
• Letter grades should be abolished.
• Teachers should be replaced by computers.
• Students should be graded on their handwriting.
• Kids who get better grades in school will be more successful in life.
• Sometimes it’s OK to cheat on homework or a test.
• Students who fail a test should be given the chance to take it again.
• Students should be allowed to grade teachers.
• Kids should be able to bring their pets to school.
• Schools should give middle school students more recess time.

• The school day should be shorter.
• Schools should eliminate dress codes.
• College should be free for everyone who wants to attend.
• Schools should be allowed to ban some books from their libraries.
• Book smarts are better than street smarts.
• All people should have free internet access.
• Playing violent video games makes people more likely to be violent in real life.
• Reality television depicts real life.
• The minimum age to own a smartphone should be 16.

• Students should be allowed to use phones in class.
• Macs are better than PCs.
• Androids are better than iPhones.
• Kids under 13 should be allowed to use social media sites like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
• Students should not be allowed to watch TV on school nights.
• Social media does more harm than good.
• Video games are better than board games.
• Reading books is better than watching TV.
• All paper documents should be replaced with electronic versions.
• Books are always better than the movies that are made from them.
• Parents should use their kids’ cell phones to track where they are.
• Playing video games makes you smarter.

• Scientists should try to develop a way for everyone to live forever.
• Paper books are better than e-books.
• Schools should have surveillance cameras in classrooms and hallways.
• Movie ratings (G, PG, PG-13, and R) should be done away with.
• Professional athletes and celebrities deserve to make more money than the average person.
• People have a responsibility to help one another out.
• No one should ever tell a lie.
• Girls face more peer pressure than boys.
• We should lower the voting age to 12.
• Every member of a family should have daily chores.
• All museums and zoos should be free to everyone.
• All people should be vegetarians.

• Democracy is the best form of government.
• All Americans should be required to vote.
• Cigarette smoking and vaping should be banned entirely.
• Parents should be allowed to read their children’s private diaries.
• Giving is better than receiving.
• Receiving a regular allowance is good for kids.
• Parents should be punished for their children’s mistakes.
• Real Christmas trees are better than artificial ones.
• We should not keep animals in zoos.
• All kids should play on the same sports teams, regardless of gender.
• It is better to save some of your allowance than to spend it all.
• Kids should be allowed to stay up as late as they want.
• Happiness is more important than success.
• The driving age should be lowered to 14.

• We should completely ban plastic bottles.
• Parents should have to take a parenting class before having a child.
• If you find money on the ground, it’s automatically yours to keep.
• It is better to be kind than to be truthful.
• All kids should have a playground or park within walking distance of their home.
• Kids should be allowed to have credit cards.
• It’s important to spend money exploring space.
• All families should have a pet.
• Dogs are better pets than cats.
• Summer is better than winter.
• Pepperoni is the best pizza topping.
• Teachers shouldn’t give rewards and prizes in the classroom.
• Clowns are more scary than funny.
• Every home should have a robot.
• There is intelligent life on other planets.

• The egg came before the chicken.
• Pop music is better than classical music.
• Xbox is better than PlayStation.
• Peanut butter is better than Nutella.
• Football is better than soccer.
• Everyone should make their bed every day.
• It would be better to be able to fly than to be able to turn invisible.
• Harry Potter is better than The Lord of the Rings .
• Pluto should still be considered a planet.
• Santa Claus’ elves should be paid minimum wage.
• Hot chocolate is better than a chocolate milkshake.
• Fruit counts as dessert.
• People should be allowed to go barefoot anywhere if they want to.
• Fiction is better than nonfiction.

• Everyone should learn to play a musical instrument.
• Werewolves are more dangerous than vampires.
• Kids shouldn’t have to go to school on their birthdays.

Controversial Middle School Debate Topics

These middle school debate topics are pretty contentious and might not be appropriate for all students or every classroom. But if your middle schoolers are ready to take on more serious debates, try these important questions.

• We should abolish the death penalty.
• Stricter gun control laws help stop mass shootings.
• It’s necessary to continue building a wall between the United States and Mexico.
• Segregation still exist in the United States.
• Religion does more harm than good.
• We will never achieve world peace.
• We shouldn’t allow young children to play contact sports like football.

• Parents shouldn’t be allowed to pierce a baby’s ears.
• Beauty pageants are sexist.
• Kids shouldn’t get participation trophies for sports.
• It’s possible to be an ethical hunter.
• Some stereotypes are accurate.
• People have a responsibility to step in when they see a crime in action.
• War is sometimes necessary.
• There are times when we must limit freedom of speech.
• Security is more important than freedom.
• We should do away with gender-specific public bathrooms.
• Anyone over age 12 should be tried as an adult in court.
• Electric vehicles are better than gas-powered ones.

• Our society has a harmful “diet culture.”
• All countries should have to give up their nuclear weapons.
• We should ban testing on animals.
• We should ban the use of fossil fuels.
• Human cloning should be legal.
• Vaccines should be mandatory.

What are your favorite middle school debate topics? Come share in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, check out 75 funny debate topics for kids of all ages ..

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60 Debate Topics for High Schoolers

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What’s Covered:

What makes a good debate topic, good debate topics for teens.

• Where to Get Feedback on Your Debate Topics

Learning to view, think, and discuss ideas from contrasting viewpoints builds a host of skills that will benefit high schoolers both in and out of the classroom—including improving public speaking, reinforcing listening, and sharpening research. Good debate topics for high school students are key to lively discussion and an engaged classroom; they’re issues that students care about. 

A good debate topic for high school is one that inspires students to think and learn about both sides of the issue. There are a few factors to consider when searching for good debate topics for high school students.

• Clear Idea: A good debate topic clearly, simply, and specifically states an often complex idea that students can argue the affirmative (pro) side of and the negative (con) side of.
• Interest: The more interesting the topic is, the more engaged and excited students are to take positions and defend them. 
• Passion: Topics that students feel strongly about work well. If students are super-passionate about a particular issue, it can challenge them to see both sides of the argument. 
• Argument: Good debate topics do not have a clear “right” answer—rather, they have opposing views that participants can make persuasive arguments in favor of or against. 
• Evidence: The availability of evidence and data is key to a good debate topic; without them, participants are merely stating a personal position on a topic. 
• Avoid Cliches: There are a handful of topics that seem to always materialize for debates and can cause students to lose interest. 

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• Are the arts an important aspect of education? 
• Should we make financial education mandatory? 
• Should students attend school year-round? 
• Should schools punish students for bullying that occurs outside of school?
• Will computers replace teachers in the future?
• Should students grade their teachers?
• Should all high school sports become gender-neutral?
• Is a college education as valuable as it once was? 
• Are student loans exploitative? 
• Is it time to eliminate standardized tests? 

Science and Technology

• Is social media making us less social?
• Is Google the best search engine or just the one we’re accustomed to using? 
• Is Android better than iOS? 
• Will technology save the world or destroy it? 
• Can the law keep pace with technology?
• Is the future of school online?
• Will cryptocurrencies replace cash?   
• Is technology taking jobs or creating them? 
• Should every American have the right to access the internet? 
• Are electronic libraries more equitable than traditional ones? 

Government and Politics

• Should the government make vaccinations mandatory?
• Is it time for Supreme Court justices to have term limits? 
• Should we make voting mandatory?
• Should we make all drugs legal?
• Is it time to decriminalize sex work? 
• Is our privacy more important than national security?
• Is it fair to take the right to vote away from felons? 
• Should we raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour?
• Should the government provide universal basic income? 
• Is providing healthcare the job of the government?
• Can governments implement policies that will actually combat climate change?   
• Should we allow the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports?
• Should we remove racial epithets from books like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ?
• Can the U.S. achieve gender equality?
• Is nationalism beneficial or dangerous? 
• Does religion do more harm than good?
• Should we bar police from using lethal force?
• Do we still need the institution of marriage? 
• Can the U.S. ever achieve racial equality?
• Are we living in a dystopian society?
• Should we punish or help drug addicts? 
• Is bad parenting responsible for the rise in childhood obesity?
• Should we sell birth control over the counter? 
• Is it time to ban cigarettes and vaping? 
• Are alternative medicines helpful or harmful?
• Should we ban businesses from advertising to children?
• Is the eight-hour workday outdated? 
• Should we treat corporations like people?
• Should corporations be involved in politics? 
• Is remote work the future of employment? 
• Is gaming a sport? 
• Are books a better entertainment option than television?
• Should social media companies censor content? 
• Is civil disobedience the most effective form of protest? 
• Should we ban football? 
• Should Black Friday sales start on Thanksgiving Day?
• What better determines success: skill or will?
• Should you feel guilty for killing zombies during the zombie apocalypse? 
• Should you choose pizza toppings based on taste or nutrition? 
• Are hot dogs sandwiches?

Where to Get Feedback on Your Debate Arguments 

A vital part of debate preparation is to test your arguments to ensure they specifically address the topic and collectively form a cohesive point. Make sure you consider both sides of the argument to better be prepared for a rebuttal.

Before stepping up to argue your side of the issue, test your argument on CollegeVine’s free peer review essay tool to get feedback for free from a peer!

As you get ready for college, it is important to understand how your extracurriculars, like debate, factor into your chances of acceptance. Check out our free chancing calculator to find the best-fit school for you.

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100 Great Education Debate Topics

• Bob Cardens
• September 2, 2022
• Essay Topics and Ideas

Education Debate Topics and Ideas to get you started. It can be difficult to choose an education debate topic that is both interesting and relevant, but this list of 100 education debate topics should help get you started!

Education debates can cover a wide range of topics, from early childhood education all the way to the college level. Whether you are looking for debate topics for a class or for a public forum, there is sure to be an education debate topic on this list that interests you!

As you continue,  thestudycorp.com  has the top and most qualified writers to help with any of your assignments. All you need to do is place an order with us.

What You'll Learn

Education Debate Topics

• Is homeschooling a viable option for all children?
• Are charter schools better than public schools?
• Should school uniforms be mandatory in all schools?
• Are private schools better than public schools?
• Should colleges and universities be free to attend?
• Is online education as effective as traditional classroom education?
• Are standardized tests an accurate measure of a student’s knowledge?
• Should the No Child Left Behind Act be reformed or repealed?
• Is year-round schooling a good idea?
• Are charter schools unfairly funded?
• Do charter schools create a two-tiered education system?
• Are private schools creating a classist society?
• Do standardized tests put too much pressure on students?
• Should the Common Core State Standards be adopted by all states?
• Is the Education Savings Account program a good way to fund education?
• Should the government get out of the business of funding education altogether?
• Is sex education a necessary part of the public school curriculum?
• Should creationism be taught in public schools?
• Should evolution be taught in public schools?
• What role should religion play in public schools?
• Are for-profit colleges and universities bad for students?
• Is college tuition too high?
• Should student loan debt be forgiven?
• Are online courses as good as traditional courses?
• Is tenure a good thing or a bad thing for educators?
• Should teachers be armed in the classroom?
• Is corporal punishment an effective form of discipline?
• Are charter schools held to different standards than public schools?
• Do private schools have an unfair advantage in college admissions?
• Should affirmative action be banned in college admissions?
• Is the current system of college admissions fair?
• Should standardized test scores be a factor in college admissions decisions?
• Should colleges and universities consider race or ethnicity in their admissions decisions?
• Should legacy preferences be eliminated from the college admissions process?
• Do for-profit colleges and universities take advantage of students?
• Should the federal government do more to regulate for-profit colleges and universities?
• Is distance learning a good option for all students?
• Do homeschooled students have an unfair advantage in college admissions?
• Should the government provide free community college for all Americans?
• Is vocational training a better option than a four-year degree for some students?
• Should all students be required to complete community service hours before graduating high school?
• Arecharter schools held to different academic standards than public schools?
• Should all students be required to take a gap year before attending college?

Educational Debate Topic Ideas

• Should schools be teaching vocational skills instead of academic subjects?
• Should the school day start later?
• Should students be able to choose their own classes?
• Should schools ban homework?
• Should standardized tests be abolished?
• Are charter schools a good idea?
• Is homeschooling a good option for families?
• Should Religion be taught in schools?
• Are single-sex schools better than co-ed schools?
• Should all schools be bilingual?
• How can we make sure all children have access to quality education?
• Is it necessary to go to college to be successful in life?
• How can we reduce the drop-out rate in high schools?
• What should be done about overcrowded classrooms?
• Is corporal punishment an effective way to discipline children?
• Are after-school activities important for students?
• What is the best way to deal with bullying in schools?
• How can we make sure all children receive a well-rounded education?
• What is the best way to teach childrenabout sex education?
• Should schools be teaching financial literacy?
• How can we make sure all students have access to technology?
• What is the best way to deal with cheating in schools?
• Should schools be teaching character education?
• How can we make sure all children are physically active?
• Should schools be doing more to promote healthy eating habits?
• What is the best way to deal with disruptive students in class?
• How can we improve teacher training and professional development?
• What is education policy in your country?
• Is your country’s education system effective? Why or why not?

Controversial Education Debate Topics

• Is homeschooling a good or bad idea?
• Should schools be allowed to teach creationism alongside evolution?
• Is it necessary for all students to learn a foreign language?
• Should the school day be shorter or longer?
• Should students be required to wear uniforms?
• Are charter schools a good or bad idea?
• Should schools be more focused on academics or on extracurricular activities?
• How much homework should students be given?
• Should teachers be armed in schools?
• Should prayer be allowed in school?
• Are year-round schools a good idea?
• Is it a good idea to have standardized tests?
• Should sex education be taught in schools?
• Should evolution be taught in schools?
• Should the drinking age be lowered to 18?
• Should students be allowed to grade their own work?
• Is competition among students a good thing or a bad thing?

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• Our Mission

Using Debate as an Educational Tool

Classroom debates are closely connected to communication standards in all grades, and the predictable structure helps students express themselves.

In a divided society, debate may seem like the last strategy an educator would want to employ in the classroom. Many educators and young people alike envision the shouting matches often seen on political stages and fear having to speak about unfamiliar issues or feeling out of control. Too often, debate is reserved for those perceived as the “good kids” and the already confident speakers.

In fact, the structure and facilitation of debate make it safer than some other forms of communication for young people to engage in, because the rules encourage people to listen to different views. Bob Litan (2020) of the Brookings Institution defines debate as “structured, civil discussion” that involves at least two sides to an issue, focuses on substance, features time limits for each side, and compels speakers to persuade an audience about how to make informed choices, incorporate new information, and identify ways to reach consensus. He continues, “[T]he ability to discuss formally, but in a civil way, multiple sides of any topic is a skill that can be learned and, once learned, confers substantial benefits to individuals and society” (p. 87). He quotes commentator Van Jones: “Debate is the lifeblood of democracy, after all. Disagreement is a good thing—even heated disagreement. Only in a dictatorship does everyone have to agree” (pp. 87–88).

Debate as an Educational Tool

Given Litan’s definition, it comes as no surprise that debate is one of the most comprehensive speaking formats for addressing standards across all grade levels. As early as 1st grade, learners are expected to respond to and build on comments from others, developing their skills to eventually become 12th graders who are expected by academic standards to “respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue, resolve contradictions, and determine what information is required to deepen investigation” (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010). The ability to engage in healthy debate is valuable to preparing for future careers (particularly those that are innovative and entrepreneurial), securing jobs, challenging fake news, and encouraging civic engagement and interest in social issues (Litan, 2020).

In addition, careful and deliberate listening is one of the most important capabilities taught through debate because it is impossible to participate in a debate without structured note taking and the ability to simultaneously listen and synthesize. These benefits are the product of debates that are geared toward fostering understanding through clear facilitation and should be viewed as a protocol for conversations about contrast and courage. Classroom debates do not, and should not, look like present-day debates by candidates seeking public office.

When facilitated equitably, debate can give young people the confidence and skill needed to navigate places of power in the future. When girls and young people of color feel confident that they know how to speak and participate, it becomes easier to quiet any internalized beliefs that their voice is somehow “less than” or the nerves that accompany high-stakes situations involving people in power. According to debate educators Melissa Graham and Les Lynn, English language learners particularly benefit from debate skills to advocate for their needs and their families as well as to counteract the very real fear of humiliation in front of their peers. By requiring debaters to research and debate both sides of an issue, they are less likely to view others as “the enemy” and more likely to remain open-minded, learning to ask questions before judgment and to explain their points so that everyone can understand them (Litan, 2020).

Our world is burdened with deep-seated institutional, interpersonal, and internalized oppression. In such an environment, preparing young people to understand diverse viewpoints, develop empathy, and navigate inequities in service of a healthier democracy is worth the work.

There are many benefits of debating:

• Promotes taking a perspective and understanding diverse viewpoints
• Encourages empathy and open-mindedness
• Develops confidence
• Promotes organization and structure in thinking, writing, and speaking
• Provides practice in persuasive and argumentative writing
• Furthers literacy skills
• Expands academic language
• Enables challenging fake news
• Builds research skills
• Improves ability to explain concepts clearly
• Refines questioning skills
• Fosters careful and deliberate listening
• Develops note-taking skills
• Enables adapting to different audiences
• Contributes to career and leadership preparation
• Improves collaboration and teamwork skills
• Enhances ability to interview for and secure jobs
• Encourages civic engagement
• Develops interest in and understanding of social issues
• Promotes advocacy and self-advocacy skills
• Supports participation in a healthier democracy

Equity Through Debate

When done well, debate can be a powerful tool to address equity and promote a classroom environment that is inclusive and healing. We’ve already noted its positive effects for girls, young people of color, and English language learners, in particular. With a structured protocol that includes clear guidelines for engagement, debate makes the “rules of the game” visible, enabling everyone to know what to expect from social interactions that are often hidden and implicit.

Structure can bring a sense of safety and protection for those who struggle socially. For people on the autism spectrum, for instance, knowing the flow and order of a conversation, as well as where and how they can participate, takes the guesswork out of an already stressful process of navigating complex social situations. The back-and-forth protocol structure itself can counteract the tendency for one group to interrupt another (e.g., for men to interrupt women), and the templated approach for prepared speeches makes the conversation more accessible when English is not the debater’s first language. Having a predictable routine brings a sense of safety and comfort when discussing challenging and controversial issues, and debate topics can help clarify the central issue being discussed.

The project-based learning organization PBLWorks identifies knowledge of students, cognitive demand, literacy, and shared power as “four equity levers” in helping every young person develop, participate, and persist through challenging tasks (Field, 2021). Here we make the connection between debate and these equity levers, and illustrate how debate can be used to address them:

• Knowledge of students. Helping young people express their opinions and even craft their own debate topics makes it easier for educators to understand more about who young people are as individuals, which can be a challenge in large classes. Over time, debate topics also offer the opportunity for all learners (even the educators) to learn more about their own perspectives, cultural lenses, and biases, which is important for improving practice and strengthening relationships.
• Cognitive demand. The process of debate is in itself cognitively demanding, and clear structures and practice over time can help young people engage in complex intellectual work and surpass preconceived notions about their ability.
• Literacy. When implemented effectively, debate drives literacy development, as long as careful attention is paid to make sure debaters use evidence that includes culturally relevant texts and debate rounds include diverse viewpoints and language practices.
• Shared power. What debate does especially well is to promote shared power in the classroom, with young people leading conversations and teamwork, actively shaping the learning process, and supporting everyone’s learning, even that of the teacher.

By activating these four levers, debate can be an equitable teaching practice that transforms classrooms into exciting places to challenge assumptions.

Debate and Intersectionality

Whereas storytelling is a more effective means for young people to discuss their personal identities, debate is an ideal way to acknowledge the layers of complexity behind a controversial issue. It prompts young people to better understand the history and context behind worldviews, question whether policies and actions marginalize people, and propose plans for how to address marginalization. Debate topics can directly consider how forms of oppression intersect and ask students to consider the impact of those intersections, which is at the heart of Kimberlé Crenshaw’s work on intersectionality. Rather than resorting to personal attacks, young people are encouraged to take a macro look at controversial issues and movements, such as how women of color are portrayed in media or how social movements can best advance the rights of people at the intersection of race, gender, and disability.

When topics are especially sensitive, it certainly becomes a challenge to send both the message “Your perspective and experience are valid and should be heard” and the message “It is important to be able to understand and articulate how others view the world.” In these cases, topics to avoid are ones in which harmful arguments cannot be avoided.

When Debate Is Inequitable

Like any other instructional approach, debate is not inherently equitable. Inequitable debate is characterized by some voices dominating others, people being interrupted, hurtful insults and attacks, personal emotions overwhelming the conversation, and yelling, with ideas getting lost in the chaos.

Avoiding controversial and challenging conversations in the classroom is also inequitable, however, because it prevents learners from directly engaging with different viewpoints (and teaching them how to navigate difference). A classroom where everyone always has to agree promotes an echo chamber and sends the message that you don’t belong if you don’t agree.

Crenshaw, K. (1989). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A Black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory, and antiracist politics. The University of Chicago Legal Forum 140, 39–167.

Field, S. (2021, March 11). 4 equity levers in project based learning . PBLWorks.

Litan, R. (2020). Resolved: Debate can revolutionize education and help save our democracy. Brookings Institution Press. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards for English language arts & literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects .

From   Amplify Student Voices: Equitable Practices to Build Confidence in the Classroom   by AnnMarie Baines, Diana Medina, and Caitlin Healy, Alexandria, VA: ASCD. © ASCD. All rights reserved.

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55 Great Debate Topics for Any Project

General Education

A debate is a formal discussion about a topic where two sides present opposing viewpoints. Debates follow a specific structure: each side is given time to speak either for or against the topic at hand.

Many students study debate in high school to improve their speaking skills. As a debater, you learn how to clearly structure and present an argument. The skills you develop as a debater will help you on everything from a college admissions interview to a job presentation.

Selecting debate topics is one of the most important parts of debating. In this article, we’ll explain how to select a good debate topic and give suggestions for debate topics you can use.

How to Select Good Debate Topics

A good debate topic is one that lets the participants and the audience learn about both sides of an issue. Consider the following factors when selecting a debate topic:

Interest: Are you interested in the topic? Would the topic be interesting to your fellow classmates, as well as to the audience listening to the debate? Selecting a topic that you’re interested in makes the preparation part of the debate more exciting , as well as the debate more lively.

Argument Potential: You want to choose a debate topic that has solid argument potential. If one side is clearly right, or if there isn’t a lot of available information, you’ll have a hard time crafting a solid debate.

Availability of Data: Data points make an argument more robust. You’ll want to select a topic with lots of empirical data that you can pull from to bolster your argument.

Now that we know how to select a debate topic, let’s look at a list of good debate topics.

Debate Topics Master List

If you’re searching for your next debate topic, here are some suggestions.

Social and Political Issues Debate Topics

• All people should have the right to own guns.
• The death penalty should be abolished.
• Human cloning should be legalized.
• All drugs should be legalized.
• Animal testing should be banned.
• Juveniles should be tried and treated as adults.
• Climate change is the greatest threat facing humanity today.
• Violent video games should be banned.
• The minimum wage should be $15 per hour.
• All people should have Universal Basic Income.
• Sex work should be legal.
• Countries should be isolationist.
• Abortion should be banned.
• Every citizen should be mandated to perform national public service.
• Bottled water should be banned.
• Plastic bags should be banned.

Education Debate Topics

• Homework should be banned.
• Public prayer should not be allowed in schools.
• Schools should block sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram on their computers.
• School uniforms should be required.
• Standardized testing should be abolished.
• All students should have an after-school job or internship.
• School should be in session year-round.
• All high school athletes should be drug tested.
• Detention should be abolished.
• All student loan debt should be eliminated.
• Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling.
• All schools should have armed security guards.
• Religion should be taught in schools.
• All schools should be private schools.
• All students should go to boarding schools.
• Sexual education should be mandatory in schools.
• Public college should be tuition free.
• All teachers should get tenure.
• All school districts should offer school vouchers.

Health Debate Topics

• Healthcare should be universal.
• Cosmetic procedures should be covered by health insurance.
• All people should be vegetarians.
• Euthanasia should be banned.
• The drinking age should be 18.
• Vaping should be banned.
• Smoking should be banned in all public places.
• People should be legally required to get vaccines.
• Obesity should be labeled a disease.
• Sexual orientation is determined at birth.
• The sale of human organs should be legalized.
• Birth control should be for sale over the counter.

Technology Debate Topics

• Social media has improved human communication.
• The development of artificial intelligence will help humanity.
• Individuals should own their own DNA.
• Humans should invest in technology to explore and colonize other planets.
• Governments should invest in alternative energy sources.
• Net neutrality should be restored.
• Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies should be encouraged or banned.
• Alternative energy can effectively replace fossil fuels.
• Cell phone radiation is dangerous and should be limited.

How to Prepare for a Debate

Once you’ve selected your debate topic, the next step is to prepare for your debate. Follow these steps as you get ready to take the podium.

Read Your Evidence

The most important step to building your debate confidence is to familiarize yourself with the evidence available. You’ll want to select reputable sources and use empirical data effectively.

The more well read on your topic you are, the better you’ll be able to defend your position and anticipate the other side’s arguments.

Anticipate the Other Side’s Arguments

As part of your debate, you’ll need to rebut the other side’s arguments. It’s important to prepare ahead of time to guess what they’ll be talking about. You’ll bolster your own side’s argument if you’re able to effectively dismantle what the other side is saying.

Plan to Fill Your Speech Time

Each speaker at a debate is limited to a certain amount of time. You should plan to use every second of the time that you’re allotted. Make sure you practice your talking points so that you know you’re within the time frame. If you’re short, add in more evidence.

Practice to Build Confidence

It can be scary to take the stage for a debate! Practicing ahead of time will help you build confidence. Remember to speak slowly and clearly. Even if your argument is great, it won’t matter if no one can understand it.

Final Thoughts

Debate is a great way to hone your public speaking skills and get practice crafting and defending an argument. Use these debate topics if you're searching for a focus for your next debate.

What's Next?

Looking for ways to keep the debate going in non-academic life? Then you'll love our list of 101 "this or that" questions to argue over with your friends.

Thinking about how you can use your argumentative skills in a future career? Read up on the five steps to becoming a lawyer to see if that's a path you want to pursue.

Getting ready to take an AP test? Here’s a list of practice tests for every AP exam, including the AP literature exam .

It can be hard to schedule time to study for an AP test on top of your extracurriculars and normal classwork. Check out this article on when you need to start studying for your AP tests to make sure you’re staying on track.

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Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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The 10 Education Issues Everybody Should Be Talking About

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What issues have the potential to define—or re define—education in the year ahead? Is there a next “big thing” that could shift the K-12 experience or conversation?

These were the questions Education Week set out to answer in this second annual “10 Big Ideas in Education” report.

You can read about last year’s ideas here . In 2019, though, things are different.

This year, we asked Education Week reporters to read the tea leaves and analyze what was happening in classrooms, school districts, and legislatures across the country. What insights could reporters offer practitioners for the year ahead?

Some of the ideas here are speculative. Some are warning shots, others more optimistic. But all 10 of them here have one thing in common: They share a sense of urgency.

Accompanied by compelling illustrations and outside perspectives from leading researchers, advocates, and practitioners, this year’s Big Ideas might make you uncomfortable, or seem improbable. The goal was to provoke and empower you as you consider them.

Let us know what you think, and what big ideas matter to your classroom, school, or district. Tweet your comments with #K12BigIdeas .

No. 1: Kids are right. School is boring.

Out-of-school learning is often more meaningful than anything that happens in a classroom, writes Kevin Bushweller, the Executive Editor of EdWeek Market Brief. His essay tackling the relevance gap is accompanied by a Q&A with advice on nurturing, rather than stifling students’ natural curiosity. Read more.

No. 2: Teachers have trust issues. And it’s no wonder why.

Many teachers may have lost faith in the system, says Andrew Ujifusa, but they haven’t lost hope. The Assistant Editor unpacks this year’s outbreak of teacher activism. And read an account from a disaffected educator on how he built a coalition of his own. Read more.

No. 3: Special education is broken.

Forty years since students with disabilities were legally guaranteed a public school education, many still don’t receive the education they deserve, writes Associate Editor Christina A. Samuels. Delve into her argument and hear from a disability civil rights pioneer on how to create an equitable path for students. Read more.

No. 4: Schools are embracing bilingualism, but only for some students.

Staff Writer Corey Mitchell explains the inclusion problem at the heart of bilingual education. His essay includes a perspective from a researcher on dismantling elite bilingualism. Read more.

No. 5: A world without annual testing may be closer than you think.

There’s agreement that we have a dysfunctional standardized-testing system in the United States, Associate Editor Stephen Sawchuk writes. But killing it would come with some serious tradeoffs. Sawchuk’s musing on the alternatives to annual tests is accompanied by an argument for more rigorous classroom assignments by a teacher-practice expert. Read more.

No. 6: There are lessons to be learned from the educational experiences of black students in military families.

Drawing on his personal experience growing up in an Air Force family, Staff Writer Daarel Burnette II highlights emerging research on military-connected students. Learn more about his findings and hear from two researchers on what a new ESSA mandate means for these students. Read more.

No. 7: School segregation is not an intractable American problem.

Racial and economic segregation remains deeply entrenched in American schools. Staff Writer Denisa R. Superville considers the six steps one district is taking to change that. Her analysis is accompanied by an essay from the president of the American Educational Research Association on what is perpetuating education inequality. Read more.

No. 8: Consent doesn’t just belong in sex ed. class. It needs to start a lot earlier.

Assistant Editor Sarah D. Sparks looked at the research on teaching consent and found schools and families do way too little, way too late. Her report is partnered with a researcher’s practical guide to developmentally appropriate consent education. Read more.

No. 9: Education has an innovation problem.

Are education leaders spending too much time chasing the latest tech trends to maintain what they have? Staff Writer Benjamin Herold explores the innovation trap. Two technologists offer three tips for putting maintenance front and center in school management. Read more.

No. 10: There are two powerful forces changing college admissions.

Some colleges are rewriting the admissions script for potential students. Senior Contributing Writer Catherine Gewertz surveys this changing college admissions landscape. Her insights are accompanied by one teacher’s advice for navigating underserved students through the college application process. Read more.

Wait, there’s more.

Want to know what educators really think about innovation? A new Education Week Research Center survey delves into what’s behind the common buzzword for teachers, principals, and district leaders. Take a look at the survey results.

A version of this article appeared in the January 09, 2019 edition of Education Week as What’s on the Horizon for 2019?

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200+ Engaging Debate Topics for Students & How to Choose the Right One!

Table of contents

• 1 Interesting Debate Topics for College Students
• 2.1 15 Elementary School Debate Topics
• 2.2 Debate Topics for Middle Schoolers
• 2.3 High School Debate Topics
• 2.4 Debate Topics for University Students
• 3.1 Best Education Debate Topics in 2024
• 3.2 Best Science and Technology Debate Topics
• 3.3 Debate Topics on Health and Medicine
• 3.4 18 Psychology, Sociology, and Ethic Topics
• 3.5 Debate Topics about Policy and Finance
• 3.6 15 Leisure (Music, Games, Etc.) Topics
• 3.7 16 Environmental Debate Topics
• 3.8 Current Debate Topics in History
• 4 35 Funny Debate Topics
• 5 How to Choose a Debate Topic?
• 6.1 Persuasive Debate Topics
• 6.2 Controversial Debate Topics
• 6.3 Argumentative Debate Topics
• 7 How to Debate Using Pro and Con Arguments?

A debate is a common and powerful exercise in colleges. It is a crucial part of the academic program and an engaging activity for young people. However, many students find it challenging to prepare for debates.

One of the most common difficulties is choosing a debate topic. The topic should be interesting to you and relevant to your class or the audience you are addressing.

So, how do you find such a topic? Follow these simple tips:

• Pick a Topic You Care About: Choose something you are passionate about. Your interest in the topic will make your preparation more enjoyable and your arguments more compelling.
• Consider Your Audience: Make sure the topic is relevant and understandable to your audience. Think about what issues matter to them and what will keep them engaged.
• Research Availability: Ensure there is enough information available on both sides of the topic. You’ll need solid evidence to support your arguments and counterarguments.

If you need to prepare an essay, we can help with that too using the custom essay writing service PapersOwl for students.

Interesting Debate Topics for College Students

Here is our best list of debate topics for college students that will spark passionate debates: Debating in school: does it help children get engaged in the classroom?

• Would you rather be honest and poor or dishonest and rich?
• Is there a valid justification for the American war on terror?
• Should the death penalty exist in the modern world, and why?
• How effective are alternative sources of energy?
• Are social networking platforms useful for communication, or are they mainly tools for stalking?
• Is it appropriate to use torture as a part of national security measures?
• Is it justified to develop nuclear energy for commercial use?
• How should we use stem cells in medicine?
• Is there a real way to prolong a human’s life?
• Is it more ethical to use humans for clinical trials than animals?
• Is our behavior determined only by our genes, or do we have personal responsibility?

All these topics can be a good match, but we have prepared even more interesting topics in this article. Continue reading to find your perfect debate topic!

If you feel strongly about choosing the theme of your debate but have no time to prepare all arguments for speech, PapersOwl is here to help you. We offer a wide selection of argumentative essays that are written by professional writers, who are experienced in researching and crafting compelling arguments.

Debate Topics By Levels of Education

Going to debate, students have to consider their level of education to pick a relevant topic that suits both their needs and their level. How to choose a topic that suits you? Below, we have prepared a few tips and examples for different levels.

15 Elementary School Debate Topics

When searching for a perfect topic for elementary students, remember that kids of this level are not experienced and mature enough to handle complex controversial issues, so it’s a good idea to opt for something less complicated. Here you can see a few great ideas for debate topics for elementary students:

• Should our class go on field trips every year?
• Should elementary students be allowed to bring as many toys to school as they wish?
• Is it a good idea for each class to have a pet?
• Should students be allowed to watch cartoons during study hours?
• Should students be able to wear whatever they want to school?
• Should elementary students be required to participate in community service?
• Are outdoor classrooms beneficial for elementary students?
• Is learning to write by hand still important in today’s digital world?
• Should storytelling be used more often in teaching?
• Can board games be used effectively in education?
• Should elementary schools include daily meditation in their schedules?
• Is it important for students to learn basic cooking skills at school?
• Should financial literacy be taught starting in elementary school?
• Is learning a second language early beneficial for students?
• Should schools focus more on physical fitness than academic performance?

Debate Topics for Middle Schoolers

Topics for this level may be more complex and boost students’ analytical and critical thinking skills. For this level, you can opt for slightly controversial topics. Debate topics for middle school still shouldn’t require too much from a student but should give some information to think about for a student to develop an individual position on a specific issue. Here are a few ideas to opt for:

• Do gadgets in the classroom improve or impair learning?
• Which is more educational: books or movies?
• Is participation in sports beneficial for students?
• Should we increase or decrease the number of seasonal holidays?
• What are the effective methods to enhance student participation in class?
• Should schools enforce uniforms?
• Is a vegetarian diet healthier for students?
• Should schools ban the use of smartphones?
• Is it necessary for all students to learn a second language?
• Are annual standardized tests beneficial for students?
• Should arts education be mandatory in schools?
• Is year-round schooling more effective?
• Should physical education be compulsory throughout schooling?
• Are online courses a suitable alternative to traditional learning?
• Should community service be a graduation requirement?

High School Debate Topics

In high school, debates are excellent tools for getting students involved in the class and helping them gain new knowledge and skills that would be important for their future education and life. Debate topics for high school have become more controversial and complex. Below are some good examples of good high school debate topics:

• Do the risks of peer pressure in schools outweigh the benefits?
• Should schools abolish final exams?
• Is sex education necessary for high school students?
• Are GPAs an outdated method of assessing student knowledge?
• What are the best methods to combat bullying in schools?
• Should school uniforms be mandatory?
• Should smartphones be banned in schools?
• Is it essential for students to learn a second language?
• Should arts education be compulsory in schools?
• Are online courses a viable alternative to traditional learning?
• Is too much money harmful to society’s well-being?
• Does a high income guarantee a successful future career?
• Should the minimum wage be linked to the cost of living?
• Are standardized tests failing today’s students?

Debate Topics for University Students

When it comes to choosing debate topics for college or university, there are many things to keep in mind – it has to be controversial, relevant, have significance, and clearly demonstrate a student’s knowledge and skills. Choosing a good topic can be hard. However, in our article, you will find many good examples, and here are a few of them:

• Does living in a dorm help students assimilate into the college community or hurt the educational process?
• Does cheating get worse when students enroll in university or college
• Does technology get in the way of studying, or does it help?
• Should student ID cards come with a tracking device
• Is face-to-face interaction with professors more effective than online sessions and lectures?
• Alternative sources of energy: explain why they are effective or not
• Should we take away the death penalty completely?
• The impact of social networking on the development of our society
• Single-sex schools: are they more effective than traditional ones? Why?
• Should we use school vouchers?
• Prescription drugs: explain why they should or shouldn’t be advertised to consumers
• Beauty pageants: are they a way to objectify women
• Drug testing: explain why we should or shouldn’t make it mandatory for all schools
• Should parents have the possibility to ban certain books from libraries and schools?
• Is setting special curfews an effective way to keep teenagers out of trouble?
• Should financial incentives be offered to teachers in underperforming school districts?
• Are financial incentives effective in improving student performance?
• Should school districts receive more autonomy in curriculum design?
• Is lowering the drinking age beneficial or harmful to society?
• Should underage drinking be treated as a criminal offense?
• Are current social security benefits adequate for today’s elderly?
• Should changes to social security include a minimum guaranteed income?
• Should birth control be made available to teenagers without parental consent?
• Is making birth control accessible a solution to social issues?

List of Debate Topics by Field of Knowledge

It is not possible to  become a great debater if you have no clue how to choose an engaging and relevant topic for your debates. Choosing topics can be hard. However, we have done all the hard work to give you a list of great ideas that can work for any purpose or level, so we hope each of you will find something suitable and interesting in the list below.

Best Education Debate Topics in 2024

• Is home-schooling better than studying at school?
• Should we ban homework, or is it an essential part of our studies that teaches us to work independently?
• Do we consider a college education useful and essential?
• Should schools allow the use of computer tablets?
• Is it better for students to wear school uniforms, or should they have a choice?
• In what ways do standardized tests improve education in America and around the world?
• Should universities require students to know at least one foreign language?
• Is it time to cancel the electoral college system?
• Should universities and colleges pay athletes for playing on their teams?
• Is it necessary for all students applying to college to complete a certain period of community service?
• Should we require elementary school students to wear uniforms?
• Is it beneficial for school to last all year long?
• Should physical education be a compulsory part of the school curriculum?
• How should we address the rising student loan debt crisis?
• Are private schools better than public schools in providing quality education?
• Should school districts receive more funding to improve educational resources?
• Is secondary education adequately preparing students for the workforce?
• Should we reform the electoral college to reflect the popular vote?

Best Science and Technology Debate Topics

• Are cell phones and smartphones safe for us?
• How can science and religion coexist?
• Should children use smartphones?
• Is online study more effective than traditional classroom learning?
• Are people with a mathematical mindset more successful?
• Is space travel worth the cost economically?
• What are the hazards and benefits of genetically modified children?
• Can science progress without animal testing?
• What are the pros and cons of fully automated cars?
• Can laws keep up with today’s internet technology?
• Does technology harm our future?
• Do violent video games lead to aggressive behavior in children?
• Should we regulate artificial intelligence to prevent job loss?
• How can artificial intelligence influence our career?

Debate Topics on Health and Medicine

• What are effective methods to quit smoking, and is smoking reasonable or not?
• Is euthanasia justified?
• Should recreational marijuana be legal or not?
• Should performance-enhancing drugs be acceptable for athletes?
• Is vaccination necessary for young children, or are there valid counterarguments?
• How can the legalization of drugs decrease the level of organized crime?
• How does the Internet influence our health?
• What are the hazards of technology for human health?
• Should health insurance be obligatory?
• How does air pollution impact our health?
• Should antibiotics be banned or not?
• Why are some parents against vaccinations?
• What are the pros and cons of alternative medicine?
• Should animal testing be banned?
• How should schools address mental health issues among students?
• Is standardized testing an effective measure of student performance?
• Should junk food be banned in school cafeterias?

18 Psychology, Sociology, and Ethic Topics

• Should adults have the right to carry guns and defend themselves?
• What are the pros and cons of adoption, and why should people adopt children instead of having their own?
• Should same-sex marriage be legal?
• Should abortion be legal?
• Can religious belief make you happy?
• What if prostitution were legal?
• Is there any true proof of God’s existence?
• How has psychology as a science developed over the last decades?
• What explains violent behavior among school students?
• Should students study ethics in schools?
• Is hunting ethical?
• How do social groups influence child behavior?
• Should society ban cigarettes?
• How do we achieve gender equality in the workplace?
• Should human cloning be allowed?
• Should countries eliminate nuclear weapons?
• Should birth control be available over the counter?
• Is it necessary to regulate hate speech on social media platforms?

Debate Topics about Policy and Finance

• Do our votes really matter?
• Is it necessary to preserve rights for different types of intellectual property?
• What are the main factors of a country’s financial stability?
• Is taxation good or bad?
• Is the repeal of anti-sodomy laws important for national development?
• Will the USA soon have a woman President?
• Is mobile banking secure?
• Should we trust banks?
• Can we have free education around the world?
• Is it time to adopt a fee-only standard for financial advice?
• Should children learn to manage finances in school?
• Can financial problems destroy a country?
• Should we lower the voting age?
• Should certain minor offenses be decriminalized?
• How should the government handle undocumented immigrants?
• Do stricter laws lead to more crime?

15 Leisure (Music, Games, Etc.) Topics

• Books and TV: which is more interesting and which is more useful?
• Games and television. Which is better?
• Social networking: discuss how social networks are useful or harmful to our society.
• Social networking restrictions: explain why social networks should be available for children or why they should be restricted to those over 18.
• Discuss how social media can make people more or less sociable and give a few examples that prove its usefulness for us.
• Drinks: discuss what are the reasons alcoholic drinks should or should not be available for young people who are less than 21 years old
• How can music help reduce stress?
• Is art therapy a good tool for fighting mental illness?
• Is listening to music good for pregnant women?
• Should we use video games in education?
• Are movies good tools for education?
• Are scientific clubs in school good for students’ leisure time?
• Are concerts good or bad for us?
• Pros and cons of attending a circus with children
• The role of games in early education

16 Environmental Debate Topics

• Should animals be used for scientific achievements?
• What are the best ways to protect nature and save the environment?
• What causes global climate change, and what can people do about it?
• How might future cities look in 200 years?
• Why should we eliminate all plastic packages?
• Should we ban plastic bags to protect the environment?
• How can we prevent an environmental catastrophe?
• Is solar energy more expensive than other energy sources?
• Should people do more to protect wildlife?
• Is reforestation a reasonable solution to global warming?
• What are the risks, pros, and cons of vegetarianism?
• Should we allow oil drilling in wildlife refuges?
• Are zoos good or not?
• Should countries impose special taxation on international aviation?
• Is a carbon tax an effective way to combat climate change?
• Should we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels?

Current Debate Topics in History

• Does history matter?
• How effective was Haig’s British generalship during the war?
• Did King Arthur really exist?
• Did Genghis Khan do more good than harm?
• Did the Soviet Union instigate the Six-Day War?
• What is the historical background of World War Two?
• Should all immigrants pass a historical test, or is it unimportant?
• What was Britain’s role in the First World War?
• Who discovered the effect of gravitation first: Newton or Haitham?
• Was the USA a provocateur for Japan in the war?
• Did South Korean provocations spark the Korean War?
• What are the alternative views of historians on World War Two?
• What were the causes and outcomes of the Revolutionary War?
• How should the international community address North Korea’s nuclear program?
• Is it fair for other countries to impose sanctions on nations violating human rights?
• Should other countries intervene in conflicts to prevent genocide?
• How can other countries collaborate to combat climate change effectively?
• Should there be a global agreement to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in warfare?
• What are the global implications of the Ukraine-Russia war?
• Should other countries provide military aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia?

The discussion can help you talk about hot and interesting topics and learn other’s points of view. It can also allow you to overcome stage fright. While performing at such an event,  students learn to think spontaneously and defend their points of view politely.

35 Funny Debate Topics

Not every time you prepare for the debate, you will have to be serious. Sometimes you will get an opportunity to set your creativity free and just enjoy the process as you participate in a debate on funny or interesting debate topics. However, this does not mean you won’t have to prepare. To not lose face, you will still have to choose a topic and prepare arguments, so here are some fun topics to debate on we have prepared for you:

• Art and music as tools for reducing stress in schools
• Are celebrities good role models or not?
• Can vampires get AIDS from sucking blood that is affected?
• Which is better: daydreaming or nightdreaming?
• Homework should be dismissed in elementary school
• Importance of extracurricular activities and clubs in schools
• Should we make cartoons and TV a part of the educational process in elementary school?
• What is the best TV show of all time?
• Should zoos be done away with?
• What is the best pizza topping?
• Can we call superheroes misleading role models?
• Schools shouldn’t track students by academic level
• Public prayers should be banned in schools
• Should social networks be blocked in schools?
• Students should have an opportunity to get an after-school job
• It’s a good idea to allow high school students to leave school during lunch
• Did God create our world, or did it just occur naturally?
• Which of these are more real – pirates or ninjas?
• Should juveniles be treated as adults?
• Should people live together before they marry?
• What are the perks of being a woman?
• What are the perks of being a man?
• The harm and benefits of peer pressure
• Do nursery rhymes have secret interior meanings?
• Fast food shouldn’t be on the school menu
• Phones should be allowed in schools
• Schools should have an option for online attendance
• Do people depend on computers and other gadgets too much?
• Animal dissections have to be prohibited in schools
• Should parents not purchase war or destructive toys for their children?
• Nuclear energy and its impact on our society and environment
• Is human cloning a real thing, and should it be allowed?
• Sex education: should it be started in middle school or later
• How do books influence personality development?
• Is there life after death?

Debating is a useful practice for all people, thanks to the experience and skills it gives you. Preparing for a debate, you gain more knowledge on a specific topic. In addition, you get the possibility to develop your problem-solving and communication skills, which are the most in-demand skills for modern employers. By taking professional help from an assignment writing service , you can refine your debating skills even further and make sure you are well-equipped to tackle any debate.

How to Choose a Debate Topic?

Where does one find some easy debate topics? There are many things to debate, but choosing the right topic that will be interesting for most students is challenging. Here are a few tips on how to make the right choice:

• Think about some topics that interest you – what sort of discussions do you like the most? You can pick something from the curriculum also. This way, you will be able to help other students learn the material they will have on their tests and the topics they may face in the future. It is possible to work with this the way you work with your essay topic ideas .
• Also, remember that your discussion topics must fit the other students’ level – some of them can be unable to handle the topic with too many aspects to consider. Highly complex issues should fit the students with a great standard of reasoning. But most students usually come up with a few arguments, and these arguments rarely relate to the opposing parties’ points. In this situation, the debate can become confusing or embarrassing. Make a list of suitable debate questions.
• Consider your students’ access to research all necessary materials – if other students have to conduct significant research while preparing for the debate, it can’t be a good debate. This is something you have to keep in mind. For example, when you pick a modern art and literature theme with many specific terms and present it to a math class, your debate won’t have good results. Do not forget to prepare your personal speech or buy one from a reliable speech writing service online .
• Do not forget about the time! All students must have enough time to prepare for the debate, so it is reasonable to pick out a topic they are studying now or one they have already studied. This way, they will be able to come up with strong and clever arguments.
• While debating, assume that you are right – in order to succeed, you have to be completely sure of your position and have some strong supporting facts.
• Do not insult the opposition. Be polite in every situation that could happen.

When choosing the best debate topic ideas, we considered several criteria: level of education, type of debate, and subject or sphere of knowledge. We’ve divided the best ideas into categories to make your search simpler.

Types of Debate Topics by Format

Apart from the academic level, you should also consider the type of debate format to choose from and an appropriate topic. When choosing the format, consider the audience and the course objectives. Some formats, such as a persuasive format, will develop a student’s ability to give presentations where they need to convince the audience of an idea. On the other hand, an argumentative topic develops skills in negotiating, and a controversial format gets students accustomed to speaking about ideas that may not be comfortable or popular. Here is a breakdown of the primary three formats:

Persuasive Debate Topics

The main goal of such topics is to persuade the audience. Persuasive debate topics have to cover a problem or subject that people care about, and it also has to be something you are personally interested in and knowledgeable in. If you choose this type, you will have to carefully study the subject you have and prepare a powerful base of arguments and facts to prove the validity of your opinion.

Controversial Debate Topics

The main characteristic of such topics is they are always challenging for a student – controversial debate topics usually cover significant and powerful issues and have lots of space for arguments. Such issues may have two or more absolutely different public opinions. Therefore, they also assume prolonged and intensive public discussion. A good controversial theme arouses different opinions among the people and makes them come up with questions that can’t have one specific answer.

Argumentative Debate Topics

Argumentative debate topics cover specific issues, problems, phenomena, or subjects that you can deliberate on. Selecting such topics, you have to be ready to do in-depth research, study materials, and pick arguments from time-tested and reliable sources to support your ideas.

These three formats are different in nature and purpose. However, regardless of what type you are looking for, to choose a good topic, you have to follow these basic rules:

• It has to be fresh and relevant.
• It has to be something that people and you personally care about.
• It has to be interesting.
• It doesn’t have to be too broad or too narrow.
• It has to have value.
• You have to be able to find enough supporting material on it.

How to Debate Using Pro and Con Arguments?

One of the most important things you should consider when going into a debate is that your opponent from the opposite side of the table, and your audience, will have controversial opinions on your topic. They will have some points against your position, and you must be ready. The best way to be prepared for such situations is to outline both pro and con arguments on your chosen topic. This will help you see the whole picture. After all, providing pro and con arguments on a specific topic is a popular practice in debates, so you should understand how to do it right. For this reason, we have prepared an example of how you can do it with the topic “How social media can make people more or less sociable”:

• Pro: The popularity of social media has helped us meet new people and communicate easier
• Con: With the appearance of social networks, people started to interact less in the real-life
• Pro: Social media helps less sociable people develop their communication skills without discomfort
• Con: Social media takes almost all our free time, making us too busy to connect with each other in the real world

We have already written some essays about social media. You can check it out  here .

Debating helps enhance rigorous critical thinking and higher-order skills. It teaches people to organize and structure their thoughts well. If you participate in debates, you can also develop your research, note-taking, and analytical skills, as well as gain the ability to create balanced, informed arguments and use evidence and reasoning. All the skills mentioned above are vital for every successful student. If you need help developing your debating skills, there are plenty of essay helpers online that you can use. Remember, practicing debating is the best way to gain and improve skills!

If this article was useful for you, why not share it with your friends? Writing your assignment can be tough, and having resources to help you out is great. By sharing this article, you can help your friends when it comes to tackling their own writing assignments. Consider saving it for reference if you think you might need it again in the future!

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College Prep: 100+ Debate Topics for High Schoolers

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• Good High School Debate Topics 

Preparing for success

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When seeking out extracurriculars that will impress college admissions officers, many high school students turn to Debate Club. Debating is an essential life skill that college educated professionals especially will use in a range of settings throughout their careers. It’s also useful for those college-level discussions that you’re headed for in your university classes.  If you’ve joined a debate club or team at your high school, or you’re running one for students, you’ll want to consider using debate topics for high school that give young debaters exposure to college prep topics and debating skills.

Good High School Debate Topics 

What makes a good debate topic? Great debate topics for high school students should be engaging, relevant, and encourage critical thinking. It’s important to choose debate topics that have clear arguments and sides. Students need to be able to research to support their arguments, so choose topics that have strong data points. It’s also important to choose topics that are of interest to the students, moderators, and audience. Interesting topics will inevitably create a more interesting debate. 

To help you get started, here are some examples of high school debate topics that will equip learners with knowledge and skills they need for a successful college career, and beyond:

Health and Wellness Topics

Health and wellness debates can be influenced by individual beliefs, values, and ideologies. People may have strong convictions about specific health practices making this an engaging topic to debate. Overall, health and wellness high school debate topics help students engage and understand the complexities of the health industry and make informed decisions for their own wellbeing.  Examples include:

Are GMOs in food safe?

Are supplemental vitamins necessary? 

Do workout supplements improve performance?

Should caffeine be a controlled substance for athletes?

Should athletes be allowed to use performance enhancing drugs? 

Should the drinking age be increased to 25?

Should drinking alcohol be outlawed?

Should psychedelic mushrooms be legalized? 

Should the government provide free healthcare? 

Should health insurance be eliminated? 

Should the government impose a tax on “junk food”?

Is access to healthcare a basic right? 

Should drivers be charged for driving when sleep deprived, even if no harm was caused?

Should vaping be outlawed?

What are the drawbacks of a minimalist lifestyle?

Has the legalization of marijuana been beneficial to the health of humans?

Should alternative medicines and treatments be used in hospitals?

Do desk jobs that require sitting cause long term health problems?

Should health insurance cover alternative treatments like massage and chiropractic 

Is the portrayal of beauty in the media creating destructive health habits like eating disorders?

Does requiring vaccinations in schools protect students from sickness?

Is the push for body positivity helpful or harmful?

What is the role of meditation and mindfulness in reducing stress?

Science and Technology Topics

Science and technology debates allow students to look to the future and discuss thought provoking scenarios of possible outcomes that will impact society. Ever changing technology opens up questions of ethical and moral advancements and the role of government regulations – think AI, social media, and robotics. These topics give students an opportunity to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of a variety of technological advancements. 

Should cell phones be used in class?

Should Chatgpt be used in classrooms?

Should children use computers in elementary school?

Do video games promote brain development?

Do video games promote violence? 

Should governments have access to private citizens data? 

Is AI a threat to jobs and the economy?

Who should be held responsible if an autonomous vehicle causes an accident? 

Should self-driving cars be programmed to protect the driver or others on the road?

Should people have the right to remove their information from online sources?

Are big tech companies, like Google, monopolies and should they be broken up?

Is wearable technology harmful to the wearer?  

Is deepfake technology a threat to public safety?

Do drones impact personal privacy? 

What are the long term effects of screen time on children’s development and well-being?

Educational Topics

High school students are in the trenches of the educational system and have strong opinions about what’s working and not working from their personal perspective. High school debate topics centered on education gives them the voice and platform to shape their own experience as students, and opens them up to new ideas to implement in their own schools. 

Should parents control the curriculum in their children’s school?

Do uniforms help improve student success rates?

Are standardized tests improving comprehension?

Should schools focus on more art education? 

Should students choose a career path in high school? 

Is homeschooling a better option vs. traditional school?

Should religion ever be taught in public education?

Do students with access to private school education have better careers?

Should STEM be the #1 focus of education?

Should social and emotional learning be taught in elementary schools?

Should classrooms be accommodating to neurodivergent students? 

Should public funds be used for charter and private school?

Should college tuition be paid by the government like public schools?

Do classroom curriculums stifle creativity?

Social Topics

Debating the social issues that affect their personal lives gives students a chance to advocate for new ways of thinking, and be open to learning other perspectives. High school students are often interested in championing for a more just and equitable society, and debate topics for high school is one avenue for them to do so. These topics can help students grow into the social change leaders of tomorrow – or today!

Should art be censored?

Are zoos ethical in their treatment of animals? 

Should convicted felons be allowed to vote?

Should misinformation be censored on social media? 

Should algorithms be regulated on social media?

What are the effects of city planning on the well-being of a society?

Should anyone be able to immigrate to another country?

What are the benefits and drawbacks of the sharing economy as an alternative to traditional consumerism?

Is mass farming ethical in the treatment of animals?

Would the introduction of public transportation result in better communities?

Should there be an age limit in the workplace? 

What is the impact of consumerism on mental health, including issues like materialism and retail therapy?

How can police departments be reformed to reduce violence?

What is the impact of the influencer movement on social media?

Should developed countries provide financial aid to support developing nations?

Is pet ownership an ethical practice that maintains animal rigths?

How can we address the homeless epidemic? 

Is the pursuit of early retirement a viable and fulfilling lifestyle choice?

What policies should be implemented to decrease the wealth gap?

Should there be stricter regulations on gun control? 

Is the foster care system harmful to children?

Should military funding be used in the promotion of peace initiatives? 

Does voluntourism harm local communities?

Is cohabitation before marriage beneficial or harmful to relationships?

Environmental Topics

High school students must prepare to inherit the world. And the world has an array of environmental challenges, which have a real-time impact and consequences that students can see in their own communities. High school debate topics that address the environment allow them to explore potential solutions and be part of the efforts to address environmental problems they will be tasked to solve in the coming years. 

Should nuclear energy be used as a primary energy source? 

Should wind turbines be built in populated communities? 

Is space exploration a top priority for humanity? 

Is travel damaging to the environment and local communities? 

Should private jets be regulated to reduce carbon emissions?

Should bees be protected to increase food production?

Is light pollution causing harm to local wildlife?

Do carbon offsetting programs work? 

What are appropriate actions for addressing climate change?

Should companies be required to offset their carbon footprint? 

Is noise pollution causing harm to local wildlife?

Should non-native grasses and plants be removed from communities? 

Is fast fashion a rising issue when it comes to environmental pollution? 

Should there be greater emphasis on product quality and durability to promote sustainable consumer choices?

Political Issues

Debating political issues gets students to be active in the democratic process, even if they are not of voting age. Many political issues are current events, which many high school students are drawn to. Politically-focused debate topics for high school helps students explore issues that are relevant to their generation, and shows they can contribute to shaping the future of their communities and their country.

Should there be federal regulations on misinformation spread via social media?

Should the government restrict access to social media sites if there’s a threat of international 

Does a two party political system fully represent the needs of all members of society?

What changes, if any, should be made to the electoral system to improve representation and accountability?

Is cyber security a top priority to protect the voting process? 

Should there be changes to voting laws to increase voter participation and accessibility?

Should there be term limits set on all political seats?

How can the criminal justice system be reformed to address issues of racial disparities?

Should there be age minimums and maximums for government positions?

Is there enough political representation to recognize the rights of young people?

Should there be more youth outreach to increase interest in political issues?

What actions should governments take to combat climate change and promote environmental sustainability?

How can governments ensure equal access to quality education?

Should social welfare programs be expanded or limited, and how can they best support those in need?

The ability to debate – and convince – is that takes practice and dedication to master. Using college prep debate topics for high school, and with guidance from teachers and mentors, high school students can become confident debaters while learning life skills like public speaking and critical thinking. Studying debate equips high school students with lifelong skills that are beneficial in academic, personal, and professional pursuits, making it a rewarding and enriching educational experience. In other words, the ultimate college prep.

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High School Debate Topics

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Debates tend to instantly engage students, but they can also sharpen their research and public speaking skills. No matter your reasons for using them, having debates in your classroom is a sure way to get your students thinking and talking.

You may require your students to research debate topics before discussing them or even prepare speeches to state their point of view. Learning how to productively debate will improve your students' communication skills as they practice speaking and listening. These skills will serve them in college and the diverse career world beyond. 

Debate Topics

The following 50 debate topics  can be used in high school or advanced middle school classrooms. They are organized by genre and some can be modified for use in different subjects. Each item is listed in the form of a question to propose to your students that has at least two points of view.

Watch Now: Ideas for Great Classroom Debate Topics

Science and technology debate topics.

• Should human cloning be banned?
• Should renewable forms of energy be subsidized by the government?
• Should the U.S. government fund a space mission to Mars?
• Should social media comments be protected by free speech?
• Should parents be allowed to choose their baby's gender?
• Should animal testing be banned?
• Should the U.S. government provide internet service to every citizen?
• Are video games too violent for children?
• Should the manufacturing of nuclear weapons be permitted?

Laws and Politics Debate Topics

• Is it ever appropriate for the government to restrict freedom of speech?
• Is democracy the best form of government?
• Should citizens who do not vote be fined?
• Is the right to bear arms a necessary constitutional amendment today?
• Should the legal voting/driving/drinking age be lowered or raised?
• Should a border fence be constructed between the U.S. and Mexico?
• Should America give foreign aid to other countries?
• Should drone attacks against specific targets be used for modern warfare?
• Should affirmative action be abolished?
• Should the  death penalty  be abolished?
• Should microaggressions be punishable by law?
• Should the cruel treatment of animals be illegal?

Social Justice Debate Topics

• Should partial-birth abortion be illegal?
• Should all parents be required to attend parenting classes before having a child?
• Should parents be required to vaccinate their children?
• Should mixed martial arts be banned?
• Should celebrities be required to be positive role models?
• Should people be fined for not recycling?
• Are progressive tax rates just?
• Should performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?
• Should marijuana use be considered a crime?

Education Debate Topics

• Should every student be required to take a performing arts course?
• Should homework be banned?
• Should school uniforms be required?
• Is year-round education is a good idea?
• Should physical education be required of all high school students?
• Should all students be required to perform community service?
• Should schools block YouTube?
• Should students be able to leave school grounds for lunch?
• Are single-sex schools better for student learning and mental health?
• Should schools punish cyberbullying that occurs outside of school?
• Should teachers not be allowed to contact students through social media?
• Should public prayer be allowed in schools?
• Should high-stakes state testing be abolished?
• Should poetry units be removed from the curriculum?
• Is History (or another subject) actually an important subject in school?
• Should schools be allowed to track students by academic level?
• Should students be required to pass algebra to graduate?
• Should students be graded on their handwriting?
• Should all students be required to co-op?
• Should the theory of creation be taught in schools?
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Teaching students about the diagram of the human body, teaching students about organic form, teaching students about justinian and theodora, michael williams, u.n.c. reports declines in black and hispanic enrollment, educationusa higher education fair 2024, internationalisation experts debate approaches to war in gaza, campus sustainability, research and teaching excellence, debate topics about education.

Are you a teacher who is looking for education-themed debate topics to use with your students? Well, look no further because we have a list of topics that you can use in your classroom today.

• A college degree is needed to get a good job.
• Are learner loans exploitative?
• All learners should have to purchase a laptop.
• Boarding school is harmful to learners.
• Cell phones should be banned in schools.
• College should be free for everyone.
• Contact sports should be required in school.
• Do you need homework in order?
• Education should be privatized.
• Education should focus on math and science rather than music and art.
• Fast food should be banned in schools.
• Girls should be encouraged to enter STEM fields.
• Homeschooling is better than traditional schooling.
• Public schools are better than private schools.
• Religion should be taught in schools.
• Should free STD testing be offered in schools?
• Schools should have armed guards.
• Should schools teach abstinence-only sex education?
• Should schools teach LGBT+ inclusive sex education?
• Should standardized testing be abolished?
• School uniforms should be mandatory.
• Studying a second language should be compulsory.
• Teachers should be given guns to defend learners.
• Teachers should be paid as much as doctors.

Environmental Themes to Debate

Political debate topics.

Matthew Lynch

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150+ Unique Debate Topics That Will Spark Epic Discussions

Explore 150 fascinating debate topics, from politics to AI to silly banter. This list will provide engaging conversations and thought-provoking debates.

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Practicing debate is a personal growth powerhouse activity! It trains you to think deeply about a topic, communicate persuasively , and become flexible with your perspectives. It also trains your critical thinking and public speaking skills. 

While two people could debate anything, finding the right topic can bring passion and inspiration to the conversation, where there is a fire in the room, and everyone is learning and expanding their worldview.

Below, you’ll find all the best debate topics for different situations.

Debate Topics for Friends

Debating with friends can be a fun and provocative way to connect. Try any of these prompts with a friend. Consider flipping a coin to see who gets which side.

• Is it better to travel to a new place or revisit familiar destinations for vacations?
• Is it more fun to watch a movie at home or in a movie theater?
• Is it acceptable to double-dip chips in a communal dip?
• Is it better to have a large circle of friends or a few close friends?
• Is it more exciting to receive a surprise gift or choose your own present?
• Is it better to be an optimist or a realist in life?
• Is it acceptable to re-gift presents you received but don’t want?
• What’s better, jeans or sweatpants?
• Is it acceptable to break up with someone through a text message?
• Is it acceptable to pick friends based on how attractive they are?
• What’s worse, people who monopolize every conversation or people who only complain?
• What’s more important, success or happiness?
• Is suffering necessary for personal growth and development?
• Should art have a higher purpose to help people and society?
• Are AI-generated images considered art?
• Is peer pressure predominantly negative, leading individuals to make harmful choices, or can it also have positive effects by encouraging personal growth and positive behavior changes?

Popular Debate Topics

Whether you’re setting up a debate for a club, a class, or a friend group, here are some of the most popular debate topics of the day. These are also phenomenal debate topics you can use as an office activity.

• Should college education be free for all students?

Some European countries 1 https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/student-finance/how-much-does-it-cost-study-europe offer free college tuition for their residents. The top American colleges 2 https://www.hmc.edu/admission/afford/cost-of-attendance/ cost up to $264,000 for four years of tuition. Is it worth it?  

• Is climate change primarily caused by human activities?

Examining the causes of climate change sparks critical conversations on environmental responsibility, sustainable practices, and their global impact.

• Should the minimum wage be raised to a livable wage?

This debate explores income inequality and the well-being of workers, addressing social and economic implications for individuals and society.

• Is universal healthcare a fundamental right?

Universal healthcare debates touch on public health, social justice, and the role of government in ensuring healthcare access for all citizens.

• Is online privacy a thing of the past in the digital age?

Online privacy is important to about 90% of people 3 https://surfshark.com/attitude-on-privacy . So, this is a topic that almost everyone has some stake in. With the increasing prevalence of data breaches and surveillance, this topic explores the challenges of safeguarding personal information in the modern digital landscape.

• Should the government regulate the content on social media platforms?

This debate addresses the balance between free speech and curbing misinformation, hate speech, and harmful content on widely-used platforms.

• Is it ethical to use animals for scientific research?

The ethical considerations surrounding animal testing and the pursuit of scientific advancement raise questions about the treatment of animals and the value of research outcomes.

• Should social media platforms regulate political advertising?

If political campaigns have free reign on social media, we’re doomed to highly influenced and manipulated elections. Is it worth it?

• Should standardized testing be eliminated from education?

What is intelligence? How many types are there, and what are the best ways to measure it? Debates on standardized testing focus on its impact on educational quality, student stress, and alternative methods of assessing academic achievement.

• Is censorship ever justified in the media?

Exploring media censorship involves discussing freedom of expression, cultural sensitivity, and the need to protect societal values.

• Is space exploration worth the significant financial investment?

Should we solve our problems on Earth before bringing them to Mars? This topic considers the value of space exploration in scientific discovery, technological advancements, and international collaboration.

• Should there be a bigger tax on gas to dissuade driving?

The more the government taxes gas, the less people will drive. This will benefit the environment, but oil companies won’t like it. This debate addresses environmental concerns, infrastructure funding, and incentivizing alternative transportation methods to reduce emissions.

Debate Topics for School

Statistics show that debate is super positive for students. One study 4 https://www.dropbox.com/s/qlfetvs9tmq9amx/Journal-of-Adolescence-Mezuk-et-al%20%281%29.pdf?dl=0 found that of the students with the highest risk factors, 72% of those who participated in high school debate successfully graduated, while only 43% of non-debaters graduated.

Not to mention, the more debate rounds a student participated in, the likelier they were to graduate.

Plus, the more students engaged in debate, the higher they scored on the ACT.

This section is for teachers who want to bring some debate topics into the classroom. The topics will be salient for your students to ensure they feel invested and inspired in their debate.

• Should high schools implement mandatory financial literacy courses?
• Is the use of cell phones in classrooms beneficial or distracting for students?
• Should schools switch to year-round education with only 4 school days per week?
• Is homeschooling a better option than traditional schooling?
• Should students have the freedom to choose their curriculum?
• Is it ethical for schools to use surveillance cameras in classrooms?
• Should the school day start later to accommodate teenagers’ sleep patterns?
• Is the grading system an effective way to assess students’ abilities?
• Should schools eliminate homework assignments?
• Is it appropriate for teachers to use social media to communicate with students?
• Should schools teach comprehensive sex education?
• Is it beneficial for schools to have a school uniform or dress code?
• Is the use of corporal punishment in schools ever justified?
• Should schools provide free breakfast and lunch for all students?
• Is it necessary for high schools to teach courses on mental health?

Interesting Debate Topics

Here are some fascinating debate topics to get your brain turning.

• If an AI could write a better novel than any human, would it ever be worth reading human creative works?
• Is it ethical to use artificial intelligence in art and music creation without human involvement?
• Should all public transportation be free to reduce traffic congestion and emissions?
• Should there be a limit on the number of terms a politician can serve in office?
• Is art necessary for society?
• Is it acceptable to have a universal basic income to address income inequality?
• Should space exploration be a global collaborative effort?
• Should there be stricter regulations on social media platforms to combat misinformation?
• Can we prove the existence of other minds, or is solipsism a valid possibility?
• Are humans inherently good, evil, or morally neutral?
• Should there be a global ban on single-use plastics to reduce pollution?
• Is there a direct link between playing violent video games and real-world aggressive behavior?
• If something online is written with the help of AI, should it have a watermark to indicate this?
• Should vaping be banned in public spaces to protect non-smokers from secondhand exposure and discourage youth from taking up this habit?
• Should there be mandatory vaccinations for all children to prevent disease outbreaks?
• Is it ethical to use AI to create deepfake videos and audio recordings?
• Can we ever achieve true justice, or is it a utopian ideal?

If you liked those questions, here are 255 more philosophical questions .

Fun Debate Topics 

Sometimes, it’s great to turn the practice of debate toward topics that are just fun! Here are some topics that won’t help change the world but are fun to debate for the sake of debate.

• Is pineapple an acceptable pizza topping?
• Should “Rock, Paper, Scissors” be considered a sport?
• Is it better to be a night owl or an early bird?
• Should emojis be used in formal communication?
• Is it okay to recline your seat on an airplane?
• Is the Oxford comma necessary in writing?
• Is it better to binge-watch TV shows or watch them weekly?
• Is it acceptable to wear pajamas in public?
• Is it more fun to celebrate your birthday or someone else’s?
• Should clapping be replaced with jazz hands to avoid noise?
• Is it better to have a long or several short vacations throughout the year?
• Should “ dad jokes ” be considered the highest form of humor?
• Should adults have a designated nap time during the workday?
• Is it better to have a superpower of invisibility or time travel?
• Is it more fun to celebrate Halloween or Christmas?

Debate can be a super fun form of conversation. Though if you don’t just want to boost your debate skills but also your overall conversation skills so that you can build more meaningful relationships, you might enjoy this free training:

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Controversial American Debate Topics

For any US reader, the political climate is hot! Here are a few debate prompts that might stoke some lively debate.

They aren’t for the faint of heart and could hopefully result in some charged conversations—to create more understanding and insight.

• Should the voting age be lowered to 16?

At what age can people make informed, intelligent decisions? Should we empower youth more? Plus, the earlier people start voting, the more likely they’ll vote later. Some juicy topics! 

• Should there be stricter gun control laws in the United States?

This is a huge one, especially with all the shootings over the past years. About 40% of Americans 5 https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/13/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/ say there is a gun in their household. Gun control debates tackle public safety, the Second Amendment, and measures to reduce gun-related violence.

• Is the death penalty an effective form of punishment?

About 60% of Americans 6 https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/06/02/most-americans-favor-the-death-penalty-despite-concerns-about-its-administration/ support the death penalty, even though nearly 80% agree that there is some risk that an innocent person will be unrightly put to death. If that’s not grounds for an interesting debate, I don’t know what is!

Here are more stats:

• Should the sale and use of recreational marijuana be legalized?
• Is abortion a woman’s right to choose or a moral issue?
• Should hate speech be protected as free speech?
• Is affirmative action in college admissions fair or discriminatory?
• Should euthanasia be legal for terminally ill patients?
• Is the use of torture justified in extreme circumstances?
• Should the United States abolish the Electoral College?
• Should there be restrictions on immigration to the United States?
• Should the United States provide foreign aid to countries in need?
• Is the use of autonomous weapons in warfare ethical?
• Should businesses be required to provide paid parental leave?
• Is the surveillance of citizens by the government a violation of privacy?
• Should sex work be legalized and regulated?
• Should there be limits on the freedom of the press to prevent fake news?
• How much of addiction is due to individual choices, and how much is biology and trauma-related?

American Political Debate Topics 

Try out these topics for some hot political debates to explore your deeper philosophies around politics. These topics are specific to the US government system but might provide interesting debate to folks from any country.

• Should gerrymandering be eliminated from the redistricting process?
• Should the United States implement a national ID card system?
• Should the United States transition to a parliamentary system of government?
• Is it ethical for politicians to accept campaign contributions from corporations?
• Is it acceptable to use blockchain technology for secure and transparent voting systems?
• Should people be required to pass a basic knowledge test to be eligible to vote?
• Is it important to implement term limits for members of Congress?
• Should political parties be required to disclose their donors publicly?
• Is it acceptable for the government to monitor citizens’ online activities for security purposes?
• Is it ethical for politicians to use social media for campaign purposes?
• Is establishing a third major political party in the United States important?
• Should nations pursue disarmament and work towards a world without nuclear weapons, or should they maintain and modernize their nuclear arsenals for deterrence and security purposes?

Unique Debate Topics 

Try out these debate topics to explore new domains of thought and conversation that you might not normally touch on.

• Is it ethical to colonize other planets to ensure the survival of humanity?
• Should governments provide a universal basic income for all citizens?
• Should there be a legal limit on the number of hours people can work each week?
• Is it justifiable to create a global language to promote unity and communication?
• Should there be a tax on disposable plastic products to reduce waste?
• Should there be a cap on the number of children a person can have to control overpopulation?
• Should countries invest more in renewable energy sources, even if it leads to job losses in fossil fuel industries?
• Is it appropriate to use AI algorithms to match people with potential life partners?
• Is it ethical to use gene editing to eliminate hereditary diseases from the human gene pool?
• Should voting in elections be mandatory for all eligible citizens?
• Is it acceptable for companies to use AI to create personalized advertisements based on individuals’ online behavior?
• Should a global ban exist on developing and using autonomous killer robots in warfare?
• Is it justifiable to offer tax breaks to companies that implement environmentally friendly practices?
• Are zoos ethical institutions that contribute to conservation and education, or should they be phased out in favor of alternative methods for wildlife protection and public education?
• Is it ethical to use AI algorithms to predict and prevent crimes before they happen?
• Should higher education be more affordable and accessible, with reduced reliance on student loans, or is the current system of student loans necessary to support educational opportunities and institutions?

If you liked those questions, here are 110 more mind-blowing questions to get you thinking about life.

Funny Debate Topics  

These debate topics are sure to bring out some chuckles from you and your debate adversary. 

• Should ketchup be allowed on pizza?
• Is cereal a soup, a breakfast food, or something else entirely?
• Is a hotdog a sandwich, or is it in a category of its own?
• Should toilet paper hang over or under?
• Is water wet, or is it just a perception?
• Does a straw have one hole or two?
• Should adults be allowed to play with toys without being judged?
• Was Darth Vader a tragic hero or a villain who ultimately redeemed himself?
• Would an underwater life be more appealing than a life in space?
• Should GIFs be pronounced with a hard “G” or a soft “G”?
• Are cartoons more entertaining than documentaries?
• Is it okay to talk to yourself out loud?
• Should unicorns be considered mythical creatures or real animals that haven’t been discovered yet?
• Is it okay to eat fries with a fork, or do you have to use your fingers?
• Is it better to have a messy bedroom or a messy kitchen?

Easy Debate Topics 

If you’re new to debate or want some starter topics, here are some topics everyone can relate to. These topics are especially good for kids, high schoolers, and students.

• Is it better to have a dog or a cat as a pet?
• Should students have homework every day?
• Is it more fun to play indoor or outdoor games?
• Should kids be allowed to have a later bedtime on weekends?
• Is it better to read books or watch movies for entertainment?
• Should schools have a longer summer break?
• At what age should children be allowed to have their own cell phones?
• Should kids be allowed to have a say in family decisions?
• Is it important to have a regular exercise routine ?
• Should kids be allowed to choose their bedtime?

Silly Debate Topics

If you want to get silly, goofy, and playful, then try out these debate topics.

• Is it better to have a pet dinosaur or a pet dragon?
• Is it acceptable to wear a superhero cape to work or school every day?
• Should people walk backward instead of forward to see where they’ve been?
• Should all food be served in the form of ice cream?
• What’s better, a snowball fight in the summer or a hot water balloon fight in winter?
• Is it acceptable to have a day dedicated to wearing mismatched shoes?
• If everyone had to get 8 hours of sleep a night, would it help with world peace?
• Is it better to have a pet dragon that breathes confetti or one that breathes fire?

Frequently Asked Questions About Debate Topics

Debate topics can include climate change, healthcare reform, education, and the impact of technology on society.

Good topics to debate about encompass subjects like social justice, privacy in the digital age, and the influence of media on society.

Fun debate topics may revolve around topics like the best movie genre, the existence of extraterrestrial life, and the merits of pizza toppings.

Popular debate topics often include gun control, immigration policy, climate change, and the role of technology in daily life.

Good debate topics for high school students can include issues like the importance of standardized testing, the impact of social media on mental health, and the relevance of classic literature in the modern curriculum.

Takeaways on Debate Topics

Best of luck setting up your debate!

If you hope to become a better debater, it can also help to invest in your oration skills. If you’re interested, here’s a great article to help boost your public speaking.

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Here’s where Trump and Harris stand on 6 education issues

Cory Turner

How the candidates differ on their views and policies on education

Presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will face off in a debate on Tuesday. LA Johnson/NPR hide caption

As presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump don’t have a lot in common when it comes to their views on education.

Trump has said America’s public schools “have been taken over by the radical Left maniacs,” and that he wants to close the U.S. Department of Education.

2024 Election

Stop stressing about the polls. watch these four indicators in the election.

Harris has vowed to keep the department open.

Democrats are for free, universal preschool for all 4-year-olds.

Republicans are for universal school choice, where parents have the power — and the public dollars — to enroll their children in any school they want, whether it’s public or private.

6 takeaways from Harris' interview on CNN

The list goes on.

Ahead of the candidates’ only scheduled debate, in Philadelphia on Tuesday, we’ve put together a handy primer of their education views.

1. On closing the U.S. Department of Education

Trump, in an interview on X , told Elon Musk that, if elected, “I want to close up the Department of Education, move education back to the states.”

Harris didn’t talk much about education in her DNC speech , but she did parry Trump’s plan: “We are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools.”

A quick explanatory comma about that funding: Most public school funding comes from states and local communities. But the department does administer two large funding streams, now more than $30 billion, that Congress codified into law decades ago to help schools educate 1.) children with disabilities and 2.) kids living in low-income communities.

'I'll be voting no.' Trump clarifies his stance on the abortion amendment in Florida

It’s not clear if Trump’s desire to close the department would also mean disrupting this funding.

Project 2025, a blueprint for the next Republican presidency that included input from Trump loyalists, recommends closing the department, turning both funding streams into no-strings-attached grants and phasing out the low-income support dollars within 10 years.

But the Trump campaign has disavowed Project 2025. NPR asked the campaign to clarify its position on funding for children with disabilities and kids living in low-income communities, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded: “ President Trump will ensure a great education for every child by returning our education system to the states where it belongs.”

Biden administration adds Title IX protections for LGBTQ students, assault victims

The Education Department debate isn’t just financial. It’s also symbolic.

Trump and some Republicans believe, fundamentally, that education should only be a local and state concern, as there’s no mention of a federal role in education in the U.S. Constitution. To them the department is the poster child for government overreach, which is why Republicans have been calling for the department’s dissolution ever since it was created in 1979.

Where Republicans see local control of education as an inherently good thing, allowing schools to better reflect the values of their communities, Harris and many Democrats also see inequity in some districts’ inability (and sometimes unwillingness) to serve marginalized students.

Congress created those funding streams to help level the playing field and to give the department the ability to hold districts accountable when they fall short on civil rights. Harris has previously backed increasing funding for low-income students and children with disabilities.

Disagreements aside, can the department be shut down?

How schools (but not necessarily education) became central to the Republican primary

Not by the president, no. It was created by Congress, and only Congress can close it. Some House Republicans have tried , but there’s simply not enough support, not just among Democrats but Republicans, too. Public surveys show even a majority of Republicans believe the U.S. government should be spending more, not less, on education.

Keep in mind, eight years ago then-presidential candidate Donald Trump suggested he might try to close the Education Department. He then got his chance as president — with Republican control of Congress — but never forced the issue.

2. On sex-based discrimination in schools, aka Title IX

In April, the Biden-Harris administration expanded protections against sex discrimination in schools to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Meaning, among other things, it believes students should be allowed to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity.

The Promise And Peril Of School Vouchers

This is not a change in federal law. That requires Congress. It’s a change in interpretation of the law, known as Title IX, courtesy of new regulations from the U.S. Department of Education.

Trump and many Republicans see this expanded interpretation of Title IX as Democrats imposing liberalism on schools. In a recent call with reporters, representatives of the Trump campaign and the RNC repeatedly derided what they called Harris’ “radical gender ideology.”

The expanded child tax credit briefly slashed child poverty. Here's what else it did

If this sounds all-too-familiar, that’s because this is an old fight. In 2016, the Obama administration issued guidance to schools , telling them that students should be allowed to use the bathroom facilities that correspond with their gender identity.

In early 2017, the nascent Trump administration quickly moved in the opposite direction, abandoning that interpretation of the law.

Protesting these latest Biden administration provisions, roughly half of all states have sued the department, and the courts have blocked the Education Department from enforcing the regulations in those states. Trump has said, if re-elected, he would roll back the rule, just as he did the old Obama-era guidance.

3. On school choice

We’re using “choice” here broadly because many of Trump’s education proposals shoot from the same root: That parents should have total or near-total control over their child’s education.

First, he’s calling for universal school choice. This would, in theory, take public dollars normally spent on a child’s public education and give them directly to parents to spend at whatever school they want, whether it’s public, private or homeschooling at the kitchen table.

Report: Last year ended with a surge in book bans

He has also called for a Parental Bill of Rights and for school principals to be hired — and fired — by parents. “If any principal is not getting the job done, the parents should be able to vote to fire them and select someone who will. This will be the ultimate form of local control,” Trump said in July.

Trump also wants to make it easier to fire “bad” teachers, by ending tenure protections, and to reward strong teachers with merit pay. “If we have pink-haired Communists teaching our kids, we have a major problem. When I am president, we will put PARENTS back in charge and give them the final say,” he said.

It’s difficult to imagine how a second Trump administration could implement these ideas around school choice or principal and teacher retention, though, as the U.S. government has limited power to influence state and school district policy.

Democrats, on the other hand, made clear in their 2024 platform that they’re against any effort that could weaken the nation’s public schools. “We oppose the use of private-school vouchers, tuition tax credits, opportunity scholarships, and other schemes that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from public education. Public tax dollars should never be used to discriminate.”

That’s likely a reference to the fact that, in some state voucher programs, a private school is allowed to reject children with disabilities if it doesn’t believe it has the staff or resources to meet their needs. Federal law requires that schools that receive federal funding provide kids with disabilities a free and appropriate public education.

The Student Loan Restart

What the supreme court's rejection of student loan relief means for borrowers.

In a letter to Harris , some two-dozen grassroots education groups urged her not to choose Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to be her running mate, because of his previous support for private-school vouchers . She ultimately chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former public school teacher and coach.

Harris has been an outspoken supporter of public education and has been courting educators’ support. In a speech to the American Federation of Teachers, she told the crowd, “We need you so desperately right now,” and called it “the most noble of work, teaching other people’s children.”

As part of her presidential bid in 2019, Harris proposed a $300 billion plan to raise teacher pay. Though she has not revived the plan, she did tell the AFT, “God knows we don’t pay you enough.”

4. On early childhood education and support

Harris and Democrats have talked as much, if not more, about early childhood education and childcare than they have about K-12 policies. Harris has proposed expanding the Child Tax Credit after a brief, pandemic-era expansion dramatically cut child poverty , and she pitched an even larger boost of up to $6,000 for newborns.

The Democrats’ 2024 platform also includes support for free, universal preschool for 4-year-olds, something the Biden-Harris administration had previously championed but was forced to abandon in negotiations with Congress.

Finally, there’s Head Start, the federally-funded program that provides child care and early learning for children from low-income families. The Biden-Harris administration has been a staunch supporter of Head Start, which serves children from birth to age 5. In her DNC speech , Harris promised not to let Trump “end programs like Head Start that provide preschool and child care.”

Harris was likely referring, again, to Project 2025 , which alleges Head Start is “fraught with scandal and abuse” and recommends eliminating it entirely. Congressional funding for Head Start rose during the Trump administration, in spite of the White House calling for modest cuts .

NPR asked the Trump campaign to clarify its position on Head Start funding. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded: “By returning our education system back to the states, our early childhood education system will thrive because parents will have more say in their child’s education and good teachers will be rewarded.”

5. On banning books and “divisive concepts”

Between July and December 2023, PEN America recorded more than 4,300 instances of school book bans, a big uptick from the previous year.

Of the books that were targeted in the 2021-’22 and ‘22-’23 school years, the nonprofit found that 37% grappled with race and racism and included characters of color, and 36% included LGBTQ+ characters and themes.

Trump has been an unabashed champion of efforts to limit how schools approach issues of race and gender. In 2020, he created the 1776 Commission , which lamented that “many students are now taught in school to hate their own country, and to believe that the men and women who built it were not heroes, but rather villains.”

Since then, some states have passed laws curtailing what teachers can and cannot say in the classroom when it comes to matters of race and gender. And in July, as part of his Plan To Save American Education , Trump pledged to “cut federal funding for any school or program pushing Critical Race Theory, gender ideology, or other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content,” though it’s not clear how or if he could do that.

Kamala Harris used her speech before the American Federation of Teachers to blast Trump.

“While you teach students about our nation’s past,” she told the crowd of teachers, “these extremists attack the freedom to learn and acknowledge our nation’s true and full history, including book bans. Book bans in this year of our Lord 2024.”

6. On college affordability

The Biden-Harris administration went all-in on federal student loan forgiveness. Some of its plans worked , but the administration has so far failed to convince the courts that its most ambitious efforts at loan forgiveness are legal.

That may explain why, on the campaign trail, Harris isn’t talking much about future loan forgiveness, or making new promises. Instead, she’s largely backward-looking.

“Our administration has forgiven student loan debt for nearly 5 million Americans,” Harris told the American Federation of Teachers gathering, emphasizing that many of those Americans are teachers who received Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).

As a senator and vice president, Harris has also supported efforts to make community college free, a commitment echoed in the 2024 Democratic party platform .

As for Trump, as president he previously tried to eliminate PSLF , and he and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, have both spoken out against broad loan forgiveness.

In 2023, after the Supreme Court blocked Biden’s first big effort, Trump celebrated : “President Biden is not allowed to wipe out hundreds and hundreds of billions, probably trillions, of dollars in student loan debt, which would have been very unfair to the millions and millions of people who have paid their debt through hard work and diligence.”

The 2024 Republican party platform pledges , “to reduce the cost of Higher Education, Republicans will support the creation of additional, drastically more affordable alternatives to a traditional four-year College degree.”

Last year, Trump unveiled plans for an online college alternative he’s calling The American Academy: “We will take the billions and billions of dollars that we will collect by taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private university endowments, and we will then use that money to endow a new institution… Its mission will be to make a truly world-class education available to every American, free of charge, and do it without adding a single dime to the federal debt.”

Considering more than 70 million American students are enrolled in school, from K-12 to college , let’s hope the candidates get a chance to debate their ideas and their differences on Tuesday.

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Education at a Glance 2024

• Education and skills
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• Public and private stakeholder funding for education
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• School autonomy
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Cite this content as:.

Education at a Glance is the definitive guide to the state of education around the world. More than 100 charts and tables in the publication and country notes – as well as many more in the data explorer – describe the output of educational institutions; the impact of learning across countries; access, participation and progression in education; the financial resources invested in education; and teachers, the learning environment and the organisation of schools. The 2024 edition focuses on equity in education , providing indicators on gaps in educational outcomes and discussing the effect of educational attainment on labour market outcomes.

Findings from Education at a Glance 2024

Equity in education and the labour market

This spotlight draws from Education at a Glance 2024 data with the aim of providing the reader a snapshot of equity in education, investigating how progress through education and the associated learning and labour market outcomes are impacted by dimensions such as gender, socio‑economic status, country of birth and regional location.

Secondary attainment improved across most OECD countries. Educational and labour-market outcomes have improved for the young adults most at risk of falling behind. Girls and women continue to earn lower than their male counterparts, despite outperforming boys and men by most available measures, though the earnings gap is shrinking. Although many countries now recognise the importance of early childhood education in contributing to positive outcomes later in life, accessing early childhood education often still requires substantial private financial contributions that remain unaffordable for the poorest households.

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The number of 25-34 year-olds without secondary attainment fell across most OECD countries between 2016 and 2023

Costa Rica, Mexico, Portugal and Türkiye saw the biggest declines, with at least 10 percentage points more 25-34 year-olds  attaining secondary education during that period. The share of 18-24 year-olds not in employment, education or training  fell from 16% to 14% between 2016 and 2023 on average across the OECD, with substantial declines in Italy, Mexico, Croatia and Poland.

Girls and women outperform boys in education, but remain disadvantaged in the labour market

Significantly more young women than men obtain advanced qualifications. However, the employment rate of women aged 25-34 remains below the employment rate of men. The employment rate of young women without an upper secondary qualification  is 25 percentage points lower than the employment rate of their male counterparts. Among young adults with tertiary qualifications, the gender gap in employment rates is smaller but still significant at 6 percentage points. Young women also earn less than young men, with average earnings 15% lower for those lacking an upper secondary qualification and 17% lower for those with a tertiary qualification.

Educational outcomes are strongly influenced by family background

Children from low-income families are on average  18 percentage points less likely to be enrolled in early childhood education and care before the age of three. Primary and secondary students from less advantaged socio-economic backgrounds perform worse in standardised assessments such as the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) and PISA.

Country notes

• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Slovak Republic
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• United States

Explore the data

• ECEC systems This dashboard displays the structure of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) programmes and their respective attributes. Learn more
• Upper Secondary Education Systems This dashboard provides an overview of the organisation and characteristics of upper secondary education programmes. Learn more
• OECD Education and Skills Database OECD Education and Skills Database Learn more

Education Indicators in Focus

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Wednesday, September 11, 2024

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5 Topics the Presidential Candidates Should Debate Tonight

Faculty Experts: Important Issues Are Going Neglected. Here’s What Voters Need Details On

By Maryland Today Staff Sep 10, 2024

UMD faculty members say that Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump should focus more on neglected sides of issues, and less on debate drama.

Photos by Adobe Stock and Shutterstock; collage by Stephanie S. Cordle

Who’ll get in the best zinger? Will Trump combust over crowd-size claims? Will Harris’ polarizing laugh punctuate the proceedings at Tuesday night’s presidential candidates’ debate?

Whether we like it or not (or engage in it ourselves), discussion of the face-off at water coolers, around dinner tables and on TV news sets seems as likely to focus on trivialities as true issues.

Maryland Today asked several faculty members to imagine a looking-glass world in which pundits and viewers alike cared more about the substance of proposals for creating a better nation and world than they did about style, or how smoothly candidates deliver scripted lines. Here’s what they said they’d like to see Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump tackle in the debate.

Affordable Housing Discussions about housing affordability often get buried in a larger conversation around inflation, said real estate development Associate Professor Jesse Saginor. “People see the daily impacts of inflation when they go to the grocery store or get their electric bill, but home purchases aren’t something people encounter with any frequency.”

Yet it’s a pressing election issue this year: In 2013, half of all U.S. homes on the market were considered affordable using the standard 30% of salary ratio; by 2023, that number had plummeted to 16%. The picture is bleak for renters, too. A quarter of them are spending more than 50% of their income on rent. Saginor said that while the cost of housing has continued to increase in the United States, people’s salaries have not kept pace.

Harris is promising to build 3 million affordable units in four years and to provide 4 million first-time homebuyers with $25,000 in assistance, while Trump would stop undocumented immigrants from securing mortgages. But beyond broad ideas, neither has spoken in much detail about the proposals or how they'd move them toward reality—something the candidates could rectify in the debate, said Saginor.

“The devil’s in the details,” he said. “This is a very complex issue. While these aren’t necessarily lofty ambitions, there are a lot of hurdles to clear to make them a reality.”

Gun Violence Prevention The candidates should offer serious visions about how to end an ongoing plague that killed nearly 43,000 Americans last year, and that means going beyond posturing, said Joseph B. Richardson, MPower Professor of African American Studies, Medical Anthropology and Epidemiology, who studies the effects of urban violence on young Black men.

In particular, he wants to find out if Harris and Trump will commit to supporting funding for community violence intervention (CVI) programs that seek to stop shootings before they occur or to defuse incidents without involving police.

“To my knowledge, former President Trump has never talked about or offered support for CVI, so I’d like to hear from him on that,” he said. “And I’d like to hear from Vice President Harris about the sustainability of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which she has overseen.

“We’ve been able to work closely with them, but ARPA (American Recovery Plan Act) funding for that is running out. Is there a way to sustain federal dollars to support CVI? That office has been instrumental for our work, and serves as a model for other offices like it in Maryland and elsewhere.”’

Reproductive, Maternal and Infant Health Care Marie Thoma, associate professor of family science, hopes to hear both candidates reiterate their stances in relation to the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade : “Given that context, I would want to know, what are family-friendly policies they might support?

“For example, we’re the only high-income country without paid family leave. During the pandemic, women were more likely to leave the workforce to care for young children. We are seeing these same impacts with the rising cost of child care for families. How can we address that and increase public investment in child care and its workforce?”

A positive but uneven development is the expansion of Medicaid coverage for pregnant women, which some states are extending to a year after childbirth, rather than the standard two months. It would be better to have nationwide rather than piecemeal change, Thoma said.

Thoma further wants to know if candidates will continue initiatives from the current administration, such as the White House’s “Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis” and the recent U.S. surgeon general’s report “Parents Under Pressure” on parental mental health and well-being.

Climate Change As an atmospheric scientist, Tim Canty said he’d appreciate a baseline acknowledgement from the candidates of what climate data is revealing about rapid global changes.

But that’s just a start, said the associate professor of atmospheric and oceanic science, who’s overseeing a new effort to provide early warning of floods as one of the leaders of the Climate Resilience Network, an effort funded by a UMD Grand Challenges Institutional Grant . “I’d also like to hear some discussion of comprehensive policy on how the federal government can support state governments in their efforts to build climate-resilient states and communities,” he said. “You can address this from different perspectives, but I’ll go with the money argument: These changes are putting billions, if not trillions, of dollars of our economy at risk.

“I’m a scientist, but I also live here, and I want us to be protected, whether that’s adaptation to sea level rise or mitigating climate change from getting worse, or maybe even reversing it,” Canty said. “That’s what I wish they’d talk about, rather than dickering over whether it’s real.”

Immigration Madeline Hsu, a history professor and director of the Center for Global Migration Studies, said immigration policy is the most direct way the federal government can shape the United States’ population, so the stakes here are high.

While some Americans embrace globalization and others prefer more protectionist policies, it’s important to have “disagreements without taking the step of demonizing migrants who come,” said Hsu. “They want to have better opportunities for themselves, for their families especially. And often it’s driven by desperation, because they can’t stay where they are.”

She hopes the candidates will stick to data, rather than political talking points, because “the economic well-being of the United States requires immigration,” such as the farm laborers who worked through the pandemic. One area rife with misinformation is rhetoric around refugees, who Hsu noted have a legal right to make asylum claims since the U.S. signed onto the 1967 United Nations protocol.

In addition, “migration that comes from the U.S.’s close neighbors—like the Caribbean and Latin America—is inherently going to be at greater numbers than migration from anywhere else. We should be thinking about our immigration policy and acknowledge this difference, because the current system has this ceiling applied equally to countries around the world."

Chris Carroll, Karen Shih and Maggie Haslam contributed to this article.

Government and Politics 2024 Elections Research

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Universities Australia accuses major parties of politicising universities amid debate over international student caps

Topic: Higher Education

Universities Australia chair David Lloyd will address the National Press Club on Wednesday. ( AAP: Lukas Coch )

Universities Australia chair David Lloyd will accuse the government of treating international students as "cannon fodder" in a political debate over migration.

Department of Education data shows 15 universities will have their international student commencements slashed next year under the federal government's proposed overhaul of the sector.

What's next?

Professor Lloyd will address the National Press Club on Wednesday.

The federal government's plan to cap international students will hinder their efforts to increase the number of Australians with tertiary qualifications, the head of Universities Australia will argue in a speech on Wednesday, as he accuses both major parties of politicising the sector.

Universities Australia chair and University of South Australia vice-chancellor David Lloyd will appear at the National Press Club later today, where he will call on both sides of government to treat higher education as a policy priority rather than a political pawn.

In a preview of the speech provided to the ABC, he accused the government of "wilfully weakening" the economy with the caps and of using international students as "cannon fodder in a poll-driven battle over migration".

It comes as Department of Education data shows 15 public universities are set to have their international student numbers slashed under the proposed changes, including one that will have new enrolments cut by more than 50 per cent compared to 2023 figures.

Under the federal government's overhaul of the higher education sector , no more than 270,000 international students would be able to start their studies at Australian universities and vocational providers next year.

Each provider would also be subject to its own individualised cap, based on a formula that takes into account previous levels of international student commencements and the make-up of their student body.

According to the department's data, regional Victoria's Federation University will only be able to enrol 1,100 new international students next year — a more than 50 per cent drop on their 2023 commencement figures.

Group of Eight universities including the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne — each with around 40 per cent of their cohort made up of international students — would also be hit hard by the changes.

The University of NSW would see a drop of 14 per cent, compared to 2023 figures, while the University of Sydney and University of Melbourne would both see their commencements slashed by 7 per cent.

Education Minister Jason Clare announced the government's planned overall caps for international students last month. ( ABC News: Matt Roberts )

Education Minister Jason Clare has previously said that the proposed limits will mean the number of international students starting in 2025 will be broadly the same as the previous year, but they will be redistributed across the sector.

"This is about setting up the system in a better and fairer way so it's not only a lucky few universities that benefit but the whole sector," he told reporters last month.

Universities Australia accuses governments of underfunding

Universities Australia, as well as other peak bodies in the sector, have long been critical of the government's crackdown on international students, warning that thousands of university job losses would follow .

Meanwhile, the government has said limits on new commencements are needed to slow the flood of international students that followed the lifting of COVID border closures.

There were more than 800,000 international students studying in Australia in the previous year, according to Department of Education data, up from 690,000 pre-pandemic.

Professor Lloyd accused successive governments of underfunding teaching and research over decades, forcing universities to rely on international students for their revenue.

International student fees are the second-largest source of income for universities across the board, behind government funding.

Those fees totalled $8.6 billion in 2022, which equated to more than 30 per cent of revenue at the University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, University of Queensland, Monash University and the University of NSW.

Even so, Professor Lloyd said it was a "frightening reality" that two-thirds of public universities were in deficit in 2022 and 2023.

He said stripping funding from providers would also hamstring the government's goal of increasing the national tertiary qualification attainment rate from 60 per cent to 80 per cent of working-age Australians by 2050.

Reaching that benchmark would require educating a million additional students in the next couple of decades, he said, which is "equivalent of creating a new institution the size of Monash University every two years".

"How exactly can we deliver for future learners and increased skills provision in the midst of a tail-spinning downward spiral of core funding?" he said.

"If universities don't have the means to compensate for this lack of core funding, Australian research simply is not going to happen."

The Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA), which represents private higher education and vocational providers, has also slammed the caps, warning that up to 300 colleges could be forced to close their doors.

The government informed private vocational providers of their indicative caps on Friday.

In response, ITECA said they had been inundated with messages from members who were "perplexed, bewildered and deeply worried".

"College closures are now inevitable and ITECA members lay the blame squarely at the feet of Australian government politicians responsible for international education policy," ITECA chief executive Troy Williams said in a statement.

A Senate committee examining the government's bill is due to report its findings next week.