Western Isles pupils debate in Big Green Challenge

Western Isles pupils have been competing against students across the Highlands and Islands in the debating competition ‘The Big Green Challenge’.

The challenge, which is organised by development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), has been running in schools since September with pupils researching and debating the issues surrounding renewable energy.

A total of 35 schools, including Castlebay Community School; Shawbost Community School, The Nicolson Institute and Lionel School took part in the first heat.

Now eight winning schools, including island teams The Nicolson Institute and Castlebay Community School will battle it out against Sandwick Junior High School, Tain RoyalAcademy, Keith Grammar School, Charleston Academy, Gairloch High School and Hermitage Academy.

“Highlands and Islands”

The winners will now go forward to the finals to be held at the Scottish Parliament in March. There the eight teams, made up of 24 finalists, will be competing for an overseas renewable energy fact-finding trip, the location of which is still to be announced. The second prize will be a trip to the Eden Project in Cornwall.

Participating schools have received an information pack, and have been using these in cross-curricular lessons for Science, English, Geography and Modern Studies. They have then held in-school debates and selected a team of three pupils to go forward to the local heats to compete against other schools.

The debating competition, open to all S2 pupils across the region, is part of an education and awareness raising programme run by HIE, and aims to encourage pupils to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy developments in the Highlands and Islands.

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