Will your school be a founding member of the National Debate League?

Will your school be a founding member of the National Debate League?

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We've received many sign-ups and may not be able to accommodate everyone this year. But don't worry, your school still has a chance! Join our waiting list and schedule an online call.

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About NDL

The National Debate League is a new programme for bilingual and international secondary school students (t-havo and t-vwo 4, 5 and 6) organised by Nuffic, DebatUnie and the Oracy Institute.


Students in the NDL will be trained in public speaking and debating. The programme runs from October 2024 to April 2025 and consists of 3 days of training, participating in 3 national tournaments and coaching younger students in Nuffic's Soapbox Challenge.

What you get if you decide to participate

Why Should Schools Join?

Discover how students benefit from a National Debate League membership

Why Should Students Participate?

Discover the benefits of joining the National Debate League

Improve Language Skills

Enhance communication abilities through engaging debates

Meet New People

Meet interesting students from all over the Netherlands and make lifelong connections

Debate About Global Affairs

Engage in thought-provoking debates about pressing global issues

 Work As A Team

Learn to be a team player and overcome challenges together

A Chance To Be Selected To Debate In Oxford

Debate at the highest level to qualify for the Oxford Schools' tournament (in Oxford!)

Helping Other Students

Learn how to be a good mentor and help younger students grow

Looking for more information? 

Read our Frequently Asked Questions and download the Terms & Conditions

Download

  • Who organises the NDL?

    NDL is a collaboration between NUFFIC, DebatUnie and the Oracy Institute.

  • Is my school eligible to take part in the National Debate League?

    All secondary schools in the Netherlands are eligible to take part. There are, however, a few conditions:


    1. To join, you need to sign up either 12 to 24 students. 


    2. Students are required to take part in all three tournaments, the workshops and be present as a mentor at one of the Soapbox challenge days. This is required to meet the MDT criteria.


    3. Students need to take part on a voluntary basis.


    4. Costs

    Schools pay a membership fee of 360 euros for their school slot (regardless of how many students participate).

    Additionally, we expect the school to pay for students' travel costs towards the three tournaments.


    The reason why we strictly follow these criteria is because this project is possible because of the MDT subsidy. You can read more about the subsidy below.

  • How much does it cost to participate in the National Debate League?

    Participating in the National Debat League (including the workshops and preparatory materials) costs 360 euros per participating school (regardless of how many students sign up per school). 


    This is possible because NDL is a MDT (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd) project. The MDT subsidy covers the rest of the costs of this programme (for now). This means that there are some requirements/obligations that need to be met in order to be able to participate. You can find the requirements in the FAQs.

  • What is Maatschappelijke Diensttijd (MDT)?

    We can organise the National Debate League because the project is part of  MDT. Below you can read more about what that means:


    MDT, or Maatschappelijke Diensttijd, was founded to give young people a broad societal orientation, helping them develop into critical and engaged citizens. It was established as part of the Dutch Coalition Agreement 2017-2021 with the aim of fostering a stronger and more connected society. By participating in various community service projects, young people can discover their talents, meet new people, and contribute positively to their communities. This program ultimately enhances social cohesion and provides valuable experiences that benefit both the participants and society at large​ 


    In order to complete the project students need to:


    1. participate for at least 80 hours within a period of 6 months (which they will if they follow the workshops and attend the tournament)


    2. Develop their skills


    3. Meet new people 


    4. Do something for someone else. In this project students fulfill this requirement by  being a mentor during one of Nuffic's Soapbox challenges.

  • Which are the important dates for participants in NDL?

    Feel free to look at the timeline on the homepage to get an overview of the project. 


    For now the most important date is the signup deadline which is set on the 1st of July 2024.

Eline Hakvoort - Projectmedewerker TTO Nuffic

Students growth through debate

Our goal with the National Debate League is to give bovenbouw students an extra challenge. We believe this collaboration with DebatUnie and the Oracy Institute actively contributes to the TTO pillars of personal development, global citizenship and language proficiency.