A fiercely contested argument over facial recognition systems saw Sydney Girls High School victorious in the 2023 Premier’s Debating Challenge for Years 11 and 12.

Taking the negative view – that Australia should not ban facial recognition systems – SGHS defeated Cammeraygal High School in the final held earlier this month at the University of Sydney’s Great Hall.

“We based our arguments on the safety benefits that facial recognition can provide as a useful national security tool,” team captain and first speaker Sofia Malik said

However, the art of debating also requires the ability to undermine the opponent’s points, which the Sydney Girls High team was able to do successfully.

“The affirmative team were unable to prove that facial recognition systems were more harmful than existing tools, like DNA or fingerprint testing,” Sofia said.

“We were also able to convince the judges that it was not any more harmful than things we’re all used to, like purchase or search histories on our internet browser.”

Sofia said she enjoyed debating as it allowed her to interact with friends and peers in a unique way, and gave her transferrable skills such as media literacy, critical thinking and how to argue a position.

“It’s really useful to be able to identify where perspectives come from, particularly in the media with so many diverse opinions being put forward,” she said.

“Debating helps me deconstruct an argument to better understand the thinking behind a narrative to see who’s trying to control it.”

As for the final debate, after a string of sudden-death competitions, Sofia noted all the participants in the Premier’s Challenge were of a very high calibre, requiring hard work to get through.

“The Cammeraygal High School team was a very strong opponent, making the win feel much more significant,” she said.

Coached by teacher Denise Vicencio, the Sydney Girls High School debating team included Sofia Malik, Miri Stubbs-Goulston, Anhaar Kareem and Sofia Tzarimas.

The winning team each year claims the Hume Barbour trophy, named for Miss Hume-Barbour, a descendant of Hamilton Hume the explorer, after whom the Hume Highway is named. Her generous donation in 1930 has allowed the competition to flourish since then.