Two young girls destined to lead Bermuda in years to come appealed for more schools to encourage debate when they spoke to the Rotary Club of Hamilton yesterday.

In support of Education Month, Christie Hunter and Christine Mayor said being part of the national debating team had improved their education and provided them with many opportunities to travel and grow.

Christie, 16, is the head girl at Bermuda High School for Girls and co-captain of Bermuda's debating team with Christine.

Among the many benefits to debating as a student was the motivation to reach goals, the opening of minds to accept other views, understanding the complexity and depth of issues, creating your own style, learning, being involved in world issues and the chance to travel.

Christie said she had always been talkative and inquisitive as a child, and her thirst for knowledge and understanding naturally took her toward debating.

"I get involved in world issues. If it was not for debate, I might not get past the comics and TV guide in The Royal Gazette . We have to be motivated to improve ...to be the best debater that we can be and to raise the bar. We are able to apply this to every area of our lives. Being motivated to be the best that we can be is something that debating has given us.'' The teenager said all teachers, schools and pupils should be encouraged to get involved in debating because it would develop students in many areas.

And she said for those who were not interested in public speaking or debating, teachers should encourage all pupils to express themselves freely and to exchange ideas.

She said far from just believing everything they read in text books, all students should be given the confidence to speak out and should be taught how to support their views without aggression.

Warwick Academy prefect, Christine Mayor, 17, who has been accepted to attend the United World College in Hong Kong next year, said debating had personally given her the confidence to stand up publicly and speak.

And she said all of the debating team had been able to grow in experience after having the chances to travel as far as South Africa and experience different cultures.

She said not only was the Bermuda team able to debate on world issues, such as poverty, third world debt and globalisation, but they were able to discuss the issues with people who had actually experienced it or were living through it.

And she said the team's visit to Soweto in South Africa last year was a prime example of that.

There they went to a school in the poverty-stricken township to debate with pupils and were met by the most hospitable and welcoming people.

Christine said: "I know this experience will stay with me for-ever. It made me think that these are real people and real issues in the world today.

"It is through travelling and through debate that I have a better understanding.'' And she said being able to debate has taught her to listen to other people's opinions and accept that people do not always agree on the same issues.

She added: "We are appealing for debating to be further promoted around the Island.

"It's really important and it's vital for teachers to spend their time and to sacrifice their time to help other people to get involved in debating.

"We have to make people realise that it's cool to be a debater. You don't have to stay at home and study books all night.''