Your Kids Should Be Debating

The window between Thanksgiving and Christmas is an essential time to brush up on your debate skills. Whether your Thanksgiving conversations were about the best type of pie for the holiday (it’s pumpkin) or less serious topics like politics, you have about a month between family gatherings to prepare for the next lively discussion at Christmas dinner. But are the kids in your family also preparing accordingly?

Well, Americans and parents agree they should be.

In our November polling, we asked new questions about teaching debate skills in school. EdChoice and Morning Consult fielded this nationally representative survey of adults (N = 2,253) and parents (N = 1,303) from November 14 to 16.

We asked how important it is that students learn civil debate skills at school. For context, we provided examples of core debate skills that students could learn, like using evidence, taking turns in a debate, and learning how to argue both sides of an issue.

The vast majority of Americans (about 80%) say it’s important for students to learn civil debate skills as part of their school curriculum in middle school and high school. About half feel strongly about this, saying that it’s very or extremely important.

Parents are even more on board. Almost 90% of parents want students to learn debate skills at school, with about two-thirds saying it’s very or extremely important.

As a follow up, we asked how schools should teach debate and civil discourse. Where does debate best fit in the curriculum?

By far, the most popular approach is integrating opportunities to learn debate skills into existing required classes, like reading or social studies. About a third of Americans and parents support that approach.

Roughly a quarter of respondents support a stand-alone elective course that students can choose to take, particularly at the high school level.

In whatever form it takes, people see a clear need for students to learn the skills to debate ideas and have civic discussions in a civil way.

It’s not hard to imagine why. This year, the news has been dominated by political commentary and debate. But—going back to our core debate skills taught in schools – it’s often debate conducted without evidence, with little regard for taking turns, and with apathy or disdain for trying to understand both sides of issues. In other words, our civil discourse has not been very civil.

On a brighter note, teaching students how to engage in civil discourse is a bipartisan priority. Our survey found that Democrats and Republicans both support teaching civil debate skills—and, compellingly, they support it at equal levels.

If we can teach our students civil discourse at a formative age, hopefully they can carry those skills with them into the adult world—and we can start to have more civil discussions.

Here’s hoping that your holiday gatherings are very happy, and full of good conversation.

This was originally published to our Substack.