Blog · Topic banks
Debate topics for students, from easy to advanced
Coaches who have competed and won at a high level of speech and debate
What makes a good debatable topic
A topic works for debate when a reasonable person could genuinely argue either side. That means it cannot be a plain fact ("water is wet") or something everyone already agrees on. It should be narrow enough to argue in the time you have, and it helps if it matters to the people in the room. As you move down this list, the topics get broader and harder, so start where it feels comfortable.
Easy warm-ups
- Homework should be optional
- Summer holidays are too long
- Video games are good for you
- Cats are better pets than dogs
- School should start later in the morning
- Pineapple belongs on pizza
- Books are better than films
- Everyone should learn to cook
- Zoos should not exist
- Group projects do more harm than good
- Cash is better than cards
- Recess should be longer than class
School and technology
- Phones should be banned during the school day
- Students should be allowed to use AI for homework
- Exams should be replaced by projects
- Every student should learn to code
- School uniforms should be required
- Social media does more harm than good for teenagers
- Grades should be replaced with written feedback
- Students should choose their own subjects
- Online learning is as good as in-person learning
- Schools should teach financial literacy
- Screen time should be limited by law for under-16s
- A four-day school week is better than five
Ethics and society
- The voting age should be lowered to 16
- Everyone should be required to do community service
- It is sometimes right to break a rule
- Fame does more harm than good
- Privacy matters more than security
- Anonymous comments should be banned online
- Curfews for teenagers should not exist
- People should be paid to donate blood
- Junk food advertising should be banned
- Talent matters more than hard work
- It is never okay to lie
- Reality television should not exist
World and policy
- Public transport should be free
- College athletes should be paid
- Single-use plastics should be banned
- Countries should open their borders more
- Voting should be compulsory
- Advertising to children should be illegal
- Space exploration is worth the money
- The internet should be treated as a basic right
- Companies should pay for the pollution they create
- Cities should ban cars from their centers
- Nuclear power is the answer to climate change
- A universal basic income would do more good than harm
Advanced resolutions
- This house would ban targeted advertising
- This house believes social media has been bad for democracy
- This house would abolish standardized testing
- This house believes we should prioritize the environment over economic growth
- This house would let citizens vote directly on major laws
- This house believes AI will do more harm than good
- This house would ban private schools
- This house believes celebrity culture harms young people
- This house would make voting compulsory
- This house believes national borders do more harm than good
From topic to a case you can win
Once you have a side, build it: your strongest reasons, an example for each, and an honest answer to what the other team will say. Many of these also work as persuasive speech topics. And if you want to get quicker on your feet, practice them as impromptu speeches with only a minute to prepare.
Common questions
What makes a good debate topic?+
A good debate topic has two real sides, so a reasonable person could argue either way. It is specific enough to argue in the time you have, and it matters to the people in the room. If everyone already agrees, or the answer is a plain fact, it will not make a good debate.
What is the difference between a debate topic and a persuasive speech topic?+
They overlap a lot. A persuasive speech argues one side to an audience. A debate topic is argued by two sides against each other, so it has to be balanced enough that both sides can win. Many topics work for both.
How do I pick a topic for a beginner?+
Start with the easy warm-ups below: familiar, low-stakes topics a student already has opinions about, like whether homework should be optional. Save the world and policy topics for once the basics of building an argument feel comfortable.
Keep reading
Arguing well is a skill worth coaching.
Good debaters are made, not born. Our classes teach how to build a case, answer the other side, and think on your feet, with real practice every week.