2nd Round: Parents should be held responsible for their school-going childrens

disciplinary problems
Government: 1st speaker
Thank you, Mister / Madam Speaker. Salutation I bid to Mister / Madam Speaker,
honourable panel of adjudicators, reliable timekeepers, fellow comrades fighting for the truth,
worthy opponents and members of the house.
The motion of todays debate is this house believes that Parents should be held
responsible for their school-going childrens disciplinary problems. Before I set the ball rolling,
allow me to first define todays motion. We, the government team, define parent as the mother
or father of a person. Someone who acts as a guardian, father figure or mother figure can also
be considered as a parent because he or she does what a parent should do. Should be held
responsible is defined as to have control and authority over someone and the duty of taking
care of them. School-going children, in Malaysian context, refer to children from the age of 7 to
17. Disciplinary problems include misbehaviour, bullying, truancy, vandalism, pornography and
crime as stated by reports from a ministry official in 2010 claiming that 111,484 students were
caught for the aforementioned disciplinary problems. In short, the definition of todays motion
reads as this house believes anyone who acts as a parent to children of the age 7 to 17 has
authority over them and he or she is answerable for disciplinary problems caused by them. We,
the government team, could not agree more with todays motion.
As Prime Minister, I will share with you the main reason why parents should be held
responsible for their school-going childrens disciplinary problems. It is simply because parents
are the ones responsible to raise their children, hence they are responsible for their
childrens every action. Deputy prime minister will bring forth two more points in support of
todays motion. Firstly, parents have great influence on their children and secondly, most
school-going children with disciplinary problems come from problematic families. For these
reasons, parents should definitely be held responsible for the disciplinary problems caused by
their unruly children. Last but not least, third government speaker will rebut, refute and
invalidate all the flimsy arguments provided by the first and second speakers of the opposition
team in their effort to cloud judgment and conceal the fact that no one but the parents should be
held responsible for school-going childrens disciplinary problems.

Ladies and gentlemen, two adults, who want to start a family and raise children together,
are responsible for their children until their children are able to stand on their own two feet.
Since parents are the ones who gave birth to their children, they shoulder the responsibility to
raise them, take care of their needs and teach them what is right and what is wrong. As parents,
they are also responsible for disciplining their children and training them to have self-control.
Hence, parents should be answerable for their childrens actions when the young ones
misbehave in or out of school.

At the tender age from 7 to 17, children are gullible. They do not have the capability to
make the right decisions. So parents should assume responsibility to help their children to
make good decisions. They are liable for their childrens actions during school-going years. For
example, young children may lie because they are too young to understand the difference
between the truth and a lie. Sometimes they lie to get themselves out of trouble. This is normal.
When they act this way all the time, or when this behaviour gets them into trouble all the time at
home, at school, or with other kids in the neighbourhood, parents who raise them have the
responsibility to curb this disciplinary problem. When children focus on excuses, parents need to
focus on responsibility. It is parents responsibility to watch over them and to teach them good
values, so they are morally responsible.
Ladies and gentlemen, the disciplinary problems in school cannot be remedied
unless parents themselves who raise the children are acting at home to engender
good disciplinary habits in their children. Whether or not the children are taught
responsibility, integrity and moral values is the duty of the parents. It is hoped that parents can
instil a strong enough sense of right and wrong, so that when children are exposed to
disciplinary problems, their moral compass is secure. Parents must ensure that their children
know right from wrong, and discipline the children when they misbehave. No one but the
parents are responsible for school-going children's actions, because their children's actions are
largely reflective of the upbringing they receive from their parents.
For example, some parents adopt indulgent parenting style in raising their children. They
follow their childrens every whim. These children grow up to be hardcore spoilt brats who cause
trouble and wreak havoc in school. Who should we blame in this case? The young children who
know nothing or the grown-up parents who should know better?

Ladies and gentlemen, parents choose to have children, so it is their responsibility to

teach their children without giving up on them. No children who come from a good home
become bullies or crack addicts or murdering thieves, unless their parents do not care much for
the children or do not teach them the ways of a responsible adult. At the end of the day, the
most important key to childrens good discipline is the positive involvement of parents in raising
them. If they fail to raise their children well, then they fail as parents. Therefore, the blame for
school-going childrens disciplinary problems, without any doubt, should be pinned on the
parents.
Thank you.

2nd Round: Parents should be held responsible for their school-going childrens
disciplinary problems
Government: 2nd speaker
Thank you, Mister / Madam Speaker. Good afternoon I bid to Mister / Madam Speaker,
honourable panel of adjudicators, ever-precise timekeepers, my esteemed colleagues, worthy
opponents and members of the house.
Before I bring forth two substantial arguments in support of todays motion that this
house believes parents should be held responsible for their school-going childrens disciplinary
problems, allow me to first rebut a few points raised by my opponent.
The first speaker from opposition team tried to tell you that _______________________.
This is totally wrong because ____________________________________________________.
He/she also said that __________________________________________________________.
Again, I beg to differ because ____________________________________________________.
Our Prime Minister has already explained that parents are responsible to raise their
children, therefore they are responsible for their childrens disciplinary problems. As parents,
they should encourage good behaviours in their school-going children and curb the bad ones.
Failure to do so is entirely parents fault.
Ladies and gentlemen, there is no doubt that parents have great influence in their
childrens upbringing. They play a great role in moulding, nurturing and developing the young
minds. If a parent has the bad habit of swearing, their children might follow their parents' poor
behaviour. Parents, are and will always be the most influential people in children's lives, and
inevitably they will pick up their parents mannerisms, habits and prejudices. Granted, there are
several traits that are inherited from the parents, but most children learn right and wrong through
observation of others. Several studies in developmental psychology have found that children
are, essentially, a blank slate. Until they are of schooling age, their parents are the dominant
role models in children's life.

Therefore, I believe that parents are responsible for their children's actions, as they are
the root of their character. Children are born with brains eager to absorb information as they
progress in life. They pick up habits, consciously and subconsciously, from their surroundings.
Everything children learn or do not learn is picked up primarily from parents. Having such a
great influence on their children, it is parents responsibility to set a good example to their
school-going children, instil good discipline and nip any disciplinary problem in the bud.
Ladies and gentlemen, there is growing concern for disciplinary problems among schoolgoing children which could evolve into juvenile crimes. Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation
(MCPF) reported that there was a sharp spike in crimes committed by students aged 13 to 15.
Some of the cases were cheating, extortion, drug abuse, gang fights and kidnapping. The
MCPF Vice Chairman stated that one of the major contributing factors for juvenile crimes is due
to lack of parental supervision of Internet use. At such young age, children still lack the capacity
to understand morality. As parents, the adults should monitor their childrens daily activities. If
they know what their children do, where they are and who they are with, disciplinary problems
can be curbed. They would not wait until when things get out of hand because that would be too
late. This shows that parents attention, or lack of it, has great influence on their school-going
children.
Ladies and gentlemen, most students with a bad track record come from problematic
families. Findings of a research on disciplinary problems among secondary school students in
Johor Bahru, conducted by Faculty of Education in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia recently
showed that students with family problems who prefer to hang out with friends caused more
disciplinary problems compared to children with no such problems at home. This indicates that
family problems are one of major contributing factors to persistent misbehaviour. Instead of
looking up to their parents as role models, these children turn to their peers. There is clearly
communication breakdown between the children and the parents. Who should be held
responsible? Again, it comes down to it being the parents' fault for not being a role model that
their children see fit to put on the pedestal. They feel that their peers understand them better
than their parents who raise them up since the day they were born. Parents, being the older and
wiser ones, should find ways to be on the same wavelength with their growing children, to patch
things up at home, so that their children do not perceive home as hell and seek refuge
elsewhere just like the case of a 15-year-old teenage girl from Jerantut who was reported
missing in 2012, but was later found to have voluntarily followed her boyfriend to Kuantan. It

was the second time she had run away from home. The fact that her parents could allow such
indiscipline to happen not once, but twice baffles me. Who should we blame in this case if not
the parents who fail to curb the disciplinary problem? [There were also many cases of newborn
babies found dead, drowned and abandoned by their teenage mothers without the knowledge of
their parents. How could these parents fail to notice that their daughters were pregnant? How
could they not realise that for nine months? How can we not blame the parents for not
supervising their children? How can these so-called parents not be held responsible for the
gross negligence of their responsibilities as parents?]
Before I stand down, I would like to reiterate that we, the government team, strongly
believe that parents should be held responsible for their school-going childrens disciplinary
problems.
Thank you for listening.

2nd Round: Parents should be held responsible for their school-going childrens
disciplinary problems
Government: 3rd speaker
Thank you, Mister / Madam Speaker. Salutation I bid to Mister / Madam Speaker, fair
adjudicators, reliable timekeepers, fellow comrades fighting for the truth, worthy opponents and
members of the house.
My Prime Minister has said it. My deputy prime minister has said it. Allow me to reiterate
that this house believes that parents should be held responsible for their school-going childrens
disciplinary problems.
Ladies and gentlemen, there are several glaring flaws in the Opposition teams
argument. The first speaker of the Opposition team said that ___________________________
____________________________________________________________________________.
I beg to differ because (Refer to REBUTTAL) _______________________________________.
He/She claimed that (example given by the opponent)_________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________.
This is illogical because ________________________________________________________.
The

second

speaker

of

the

Opposition

team

tried

to

convince

you

that

______________________________________ and __________________________________.

His / Her claims are sorely unfounded. His or her arguments are unacceptable because
____________________________________________________________________________
(Refer to REBUTTAL) In fact, (state governments point) _______________________________
____________________________________________________________________________.
He/She further argued that (any example given by the opponent) ________________________
____________________________________________________________________________.
Again, I strongly disagree because _______________________________________________.
My esteemed colleagues and I have given you several solid arguments and examples
why parents should shoulder all the blames for their school-going childrens disciplinary

problems. School-going children are their parents responsibilities, therefore no one but the
parents should be held responsible for disciplinary problems caused by their children.
With that, I thank you.

2nd Round: Parents should be held responsible for their school-going childrens
disciplinary problems
Government: Reply Speech
Thank you, Mister / Madam Speaker. Once again, salutation I bid to everyone present
here.
This debate can be likened to a chess match. The opposition team has made their final
move and they are unable to go any further. I, as the ____________________, have been
entrusted to deliver the reply speech on behalf on my comrades. For the umpteenth time, allow
me to state that this house believes that parents should be held responsible for their schoolgoing childrens disciplinary problems.
The opposition team has tried to convince you that _____________________________
are accountable for the disciplinary problems among school-going children. But their arguments
are based on assumptions and hearsays with little reliable evidence.
Their first argument is ____________________________________________________.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, we all know that is far-fetched because it is impossible to ________
____________________________________________________________________________.
Their second argument has several holes in it. They said that _____________________
____________________________________________________________________________.
Again, it is not true because _____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________.
The third argument brought forth by the second speaker of the opposition team is riddled
with errors as ________________________________________________________________.
In contrast, we, the government team, have presented a strong case for the motion. We
believe that parents should be held responsible for these three reasons. Firstly, parents are the
ones who raise the school-going children, therefore they are responsible for their disciplinary
problems. Two adults who chose to be a family and raise children together should bear the full

responsibilities to teach them what is right and what is wrong, to discipline them and to train
them to have self-control. These are parents duties in raising their school-going children to
ensure they steer clear from disciplinary problems in and out of the school. No children who
come from a good family with caring parents become a rotten apple unless they are spoilt rotten
by their parents.
Secondly, parents have great influence on their children since they are the ones who
mould, nurture and develop their characters since the day they were born. Parents should be
the greatest role models in the lives of their children. Sadly, this is not the case for many
unfortunate children. Children learn through observation and they pick up habits from their
immediate surroundings from a young age. Parents, are and will always be the most influential
people in children's lives, and inevitably they will pick up their parents mannerisms, habits and
prejudices. Everything children learn or do not learn is picked up primarily from parents. Having
such a great influence on their children, it is parents responsibility to set a good example to their
school-going children, instil good discipline and nip any disciplinary problem in the bud. MCPF
chairman stated that parental supervision of Internet use is important in raising well-disciplined
and morally upright children that steer clear from disciplinary problems and crimes.
Thirdly, most school-going children with disciplinary problems come from problematic
families. Some are stuck in home of quarrelling parents, abusive fathers, alcoholic mothers who
neglect their children and starve them of attention that they truly deserve. A research on
disciplinary problems among secondary school students in Johor Bahru, conducted by Faculty
of Education in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia recently supports the idea that family problems are
one of major contributing factors to persistent misbehaviour as the findings showed that
students with family problems who prefer to hang out with friends caused more disciplinary
problems compared to children with no such problems at home. Who should we blame in this
case? The poor children who are caught in the middle of two fighting parents? Or the adults who
should have thought of ways to patch up and make things better at home? The children did not
ask to be born into that family. The adults are the one who choose to start a family together.
When things go sour, they should mend things up. Children should not be the pawns in their
bitter quarrels.
Before I step down, let me reaffirm the Governments stand that parents should be held
responsible for their school-going childrens disciplinary problems. My dear opposition team, I

regret to inform you that your rooks and your bishops have been captured. Your queen is
nowhere to be found. Your king has been successfully cornered. Checkmate.
With that, I gladly rest my case. Thank you.

POI from Opposition

REBUTTAL

Children are raised by

If that is the case, then we should definitely blame the parents. They

someone who is not

should be the ones responsible to instil good values in their children.

their biological parent.

But where are they? Why are they not the ones who raise their own
children? How would the children learn good values in the absence of
role models? Therefore, parents should definitely be blamed.
Many students who have disciplinary problems come from broken
families. Their parents fail to provide them with love and attention.
Some of them are victims of domestic violence too. As a result, these
students vent their anger on weaker students, play truant and
vandalise school properties. Their parents starve them of love and
attention that they deserve. Those misbehaviours and disciplinary
problems are actually ways of seeking attention that they crave for from
their parents.

Children

are

Is it acceptable that parents close their eyes to the fact that their

responsible for their

children misbehave in school? When they know that their children are

own actions.

causing problems in school, they should take full responsibility and

exercise their responsibility as parents to intervene.
Students who commit crimes in or out of school are called juvenile
offenders or minor. They are too young to have the legal
responsibilities as an adult. They lack capacity to understand
responsibilities and the probable consequences of any actions.
It is parents job to provide their children with guidance, so as to build
maturity and

responsibility. Education

starts

from

home;

any

behaviours of the parents directly affect the children psychologically

and in terms of development. There is an action and a reaction.
Children's actions are stimulated by their personality and behaviour,
which is undoubtedly shaped from their parents and their parents
behaviour. Even when the child is an adult, they have their parents to

thank for their upbringing. Therefore FULL responsibility goes to the

parents of the behavioural and ethical construction of their children.
Besides families are the building blocks of society and the generations
perpetuate a circle of similar family traits and behaviours.
Children

from

bad

Children see their parents as bad example and they do not want to end

family background but

up like their parents. Their parents have failed to be good role models

succeed anyway

for their children.

Parents who are out

This can be categorised as negligence. It is the parents' responsibility

at work most of the

to keep an eye on their children. There should be a balance between

time

work time and family time. Parents should have come home to
supervise when their children are home, or hire a caretaker, or find an
after-school programme.

Malaysian couple who

Spare the rod and spoil the child.

were guilty of hurting

their children

Tell me who has never been spanked, pinched or yelled at by their

parents before? I believe there is none. It is a norm in Asian culture to
spank the children to teach them a lesson when they misbehave. It is a
way of educating the children. Did the children suffer from broken ribs?
Did they lose an arm and a leg? Are they traumatised or scarred for
life? The answers to all of the questions are NO. Then it cannot be
considered as abuse.

Teachers
responsible

for

are

If the children are in school, are they not their parents children? If they

the

are still their parents children, shouldnt parents be responsible for the

disciplinary problems

problems caused by them.

Teachers are paid to

Teachers job is to teach, not to act a parent and manage unruly

educate.

students. Moreover, teachers are not allowed to punish students. They

would call parents if there is any disciplinary problem. This shows that
parents play more important role in curbing disciplinary problems.

Teachers are second

There are hundreds of students in school, it is impossible for teachers

parents

to manage all of them and to be responsible for all of the problematic

students.

Students

can

see

Can you imagine one counsellor managing hundreds of problematic

counsellors

students? How many students can one counsellor see in one day?

Classmates/

Blood is thicker than water. Parents need to supervise who their

Peers in school have

children are mixing with. If parents fail to do so, then they fail as

more

parents.

influence

on

them

Students

choose As parents, they should have the greatest influence on their children.

wrong

models/

They should set good examples for their children to emulate. Children

Some parents are bad

would put them on a pedestal if they fulfil their responsibilities as

role models.

parents and take care of their needs. If their children do not see them

role

as their role models, that means they are bad parents and they are not
fit as role models. Who should we blame if not the parents themselves?

Students spend more

Parents should be aware with the fact that young minds can be easily

time at school / with

influenced, so they should be extra vigilant about their childrens

friends than at home

whereabouts and who they are with. So if parents fail to do so and their
children mix with the wrong crowd, then parents only have themselves
to blame.

Technology

/ As mentioned by the Deputy Prime Minister, parents are responsible to

Entertainment
contributes
disciplinary problem

monitor their childrens usage of technology and guide them as the

to

young ones are not old enough to understand the consequences of

their behaviours.

Possible POI to ask Opposition

Oppositions

Possible POI to ask Opposition

Point

Children

1. Why do we need parents if children are capable of thinking on their

own?
2.

3.

Teachers

1. Why should we held teachers accountable when teachers are

supposed to teacher and it is parents job to discipline their own
children?
2.

3.

Peers

1. Parents should monitor their childrens peers and the people they are
with to avoid the young ones from mixing with the wrong crowd.
2.

3.

Technology

1.

2.

3.

Entertainment

1.

2.

3.

Reply Speech: Rebuttal

Governments

Reply Speech

Point

Children

If children can think on their own, there would not be so many cases of
disciplinary problems, would there? School-going children are too
young to have the legal responsibilities as an adult. They lack capacity
to understand responsibilities and the probable consequences of their
own actions. It is parents duty to provide their children with guidance as
to build maturity and responsibility. Education starts from home; any
behaviours of the parents directly affect the children psychologically
and in terms of development. There is an action and a reaction.
Children's actions are stimulated by their personality and behaviour,
which is undoubtedly shaped from their parents and their parents
behaviour Even when the child is an adult, they have their parents to
thank for their upbringing. Therefore FULL responsibility goes to the
parents of the behavioural and ethical construction of their children.
Besides families are the building blocks of society and the generations
perpetuate a circle of similar family traits and behaviours.

Teachers

Teachers core business in school is teaching. They are not babysitters.

They are not the school-going childrens fathers or mothers. They are
supposed to teach, not to act as parent, not to manage unruly
behaviour.

Peers

Parents should keep an eye on their childrens peers who are their

young ones mingling with. Young minds are vulnerable. They can be
easily infected with ideas. So parents should be extra vigilant about
their childrens whereabouts and who they are with. If parents fail to do
so and their children mix with the wrong crowd, who can be blamed in
this case if not the parents?

Technology

It is parents responsibility to guide the young ones. Children may not

have the capacity to differentiate what is right and what is wrong, but
their parents are old enough to know better. Therefore, they are
responsible to supervise their childrens usage of technology and guide
them.

Entertainment

Parents, parents, parents. Again, it is parents responsibility to guide the

young ones. Bad behaviours and violence are glamorized on the
screens and on the streets. Children may not have the capacity to
differentiate what is right and what is wrong, but their parents are old
enough to know better. Therefore, they are responsible to monitor their
children watch and give them appropriate guidance.