State schools in England should set up debating clubs and train teachers in the art of encouraging classroom discussions in order to improve children’s oracy and help them develop speaking skills for life, a senior leader at Eton college has said.
While private schools have greater resources to work on enrichment and life skills outside the demands of the GCSE and A-level curriculum, teachers in state schools, who often work with disadvantaged children with additional needs, say they do not have sufficient time or training to focus on oracy.
