Teen to represent NZ in debating

Aric Shakur will be representing New Zealand with his debating skills and hopes to do well, but the 17-year-old admits his biggest problem is confidence.

On Monday the year 13 Palmerston North Boys' High School pupil was chosen to be one of five members of the Russell McVeagh New Zealand debating team, which will represent New Zealand in an international tournament early next year.

Aric, who represented Boys' High at New Zealand Model United Nations, said he was looking forward to the experience. "We have a pretty strong team."

He said his biggest problem was the public speaking itself. "It's just being able to articulate your thoughts."

But Boys' High rector Tim O'Connor said Aric, who teaches part-time at NumberWorks – an after-school tuition programme helping kids with maths and English – was a bright and capable student.

"There's no doubt in my mind that he deserves to be representing New Zealand," he said.

Last month, Aric captained the Boys' High Senior A debating team in the Sir Michael Hardie Boys' Cup, beating 11 other teams to take the Cup. Aric, who plans to begin a conjoint degree in law and either arts or economics next year, was named Best Speaker of the tournament.

This month, he and two other students from the July tournament competed in the Russell McVeagh New Zealand Schools' Debating Championships in Wellington.

The team had had good expectations for the tournament.

"Our team was young but we had practised a lot," Aric said.

Their team had been coached by university students who had "the right balance between work and play". The students had coached them in debating strategies and showed them how to devise better arguments.

The team, which Aric captained, lost at the semifinals to a Wellington group, but his debating skills had caught the judges' eye.

Christopher Bishop, president of the New Zealand Schools' Debating Council, said Aric had a witty and engaging style of speaking.

- © Fairfax NZ News