The motions to be debated in the first round of the annual Sutton Coldfield Schools Parliamentary Debating Competition have been revealed today. Students from secondary schools across Sutton Coldfield are preparing for the competition which will take place on Thursday 23 February, and is hosted by last year’s winners, Plantsbrook School. The first round motions will be debated with proposing and opposing schools as follows: Fairfax School vs Birmingham Metropolitan College “With the growth of social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter we should accept that the concept of privacy is a thing of the past.” Plantsbrook School vs John Willmott School “Cosmetic surgery is an act of vanity and self-indulgence, the consequences of which should not be corrected by the NHS.” Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls vs The Arthur Terry School “Science and Technology are the staples of all major economies; on this basis we should limit the study of the Arts and Humanities.” Bishop Walsh Catholic School vs Bishop Vesey Grammar School “The cost of tuition fees is a small price to pay for the long term benefits of a University degree.” Also revealed today is the Judging Panel chaired by the former Lord Mayor of Birmingham and currently a Council Member of the National Memorial Arboretum Appeal Sir Bernard Zissman. Andrew Mitchell MP, who founded the competition which is now in its tenth year, said, “With these tough motions, the Competition promises to be a challenging and interesting one for Sutton Coldfield’s young debaters. “The first round will be followed by another round of debates on unseen motions to be revealed on the night and teams will have to prepare against the clock. “I know that Plantsbrook School is working hard on this year’s competition and I am very much looking forward to Chairing the debate next week and to hear our local students tackle these controversial issues.” Photo: Andrew Mitchell MP introducing last year’s competition',