Debate topics for students: 11 questions worth arguing

A good debate topic is a question where reasonable people disagree, where both sides have real reasons, and where you can say something concrete in a few sentences. If you are a student looking for something to argue in class, in a club, or online with someone from another school, start from the list below.

Every topic here is on theChatStage, where you can pick a side and debate it live or by turns. You must be 16 or over to take part. Visitors without an account can read the topic pages and watch debates that are live or published.

Topics about school and learning

• Should school uniforms be mandatory? Tests ideas about fairness, identity and cost.
• Should smartphones be banned in schools? Concentration and learning against trust and contact with parents.
• Should higher education be free for everyone? Who pays, and who benefits.
• Should AI-generated work compete with human work? Skill, credit and what counts as your own effort.

Topics about young people and technology

• Ban social media for under 16s? Protection against freedom and access.
• Should social media companies be held liable for harmful content? Responsibility, speech and enforcement.
• Should gene editing in humans be allowed? Medicine against the line between treating and choosing.

Topics about work, money and the future

• Should the standard workweek drop to 4 days?
• Universal basic income for everyone?
• Is nuclear the answer to climate change?
• Should voting be mandatory for all citizens?

There are more in each category: education, technology, science, economy and the full list.

How to choose a topic

Check that both sides have real arguments

If you can only think of reasons for one side, the question is probably too lopsided, or you need to read more. A good topic makes you pause before choosing.

Make sure you can define it

"Banned" can mean banned during lessons or banned on the premises. "Free" can mean free to the student or paid for by someone else. The first job in any debate is saying what the words mean.

Pick something you can find evidence for

For a school assignment, choose a topic where you can find studies, laws or real cases. Name them in your argument.

How to prepare in 20 minutes

1. Read the topic description. It is written to be neutral.
2. Write your side's three best reasons and one example for each.
3. Write the other side's three best reasons, as they would put it.
4. Decide the one point you most want to defend, and open with it.
5. Pick a side. Consider the one you disagree with; it teaches more. See why arguing the side you disagree with works.

Common questions

Can I suggest my own topic?

Yes. Once you are signed in, you can propose a topic from the Debates page or in the app. It goes to the team for review and appears once approved. Pick a question that people can take a side on.

Can I use these topics for a class or club?

You are welcome to use the topic questions as prompts. If you debate on theChatStage, each person needs their own account and must be 16 or over.

How is a debate structured?

Live debates run in real time; turn-based debates have six written turns with 24 hours for each. Read how a six-turn written debate works.