• Jane Caro, Michael Duffy
• ABC Fora

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02 July 2009Once again, the IQ Squared debate series filled the auditorium of the Angel Place Recital Centre in Sydney's CBD, and this time it was to argue a hotly-felt topic, that "Public Funding of Private Education is Unconscionable".

Unusually for the series, the pre-debate poll had the audience evenly split on the issue, and speakers from both teams elicited laughter, cheers and boos. High profile speakers like Jane Caro (for) and Michael Duffy (against) made strong arguments, but the stars of the show were the student debaters. Tim Mathews from Caringbah High gave a convincing personal argument that public schools need more money, and was himself evidence that public schools produce articulate, confident and clever kids. Sam Molloy, from Sydney Grammar, gave a thoughtful response to the affirmative team's argument, and in the end it was the negative that won the day, 53% to 41%, with only 6% undecided.