YOUNG people will get a chance to put their views across at the Huge Health Debate being held at County Hall in Trowbridge on Wednesday.

Pupils from eight Wiltshire secondary schools will come together to discuss issues around health and to compete for the Debating Bowl. This is currently held by Lavington School in Devizes and will be awarded to the new winners after the debate.

The annual debate brings together students aged 14 to 19 from schools across Wiltshire to debate a range of topical issues with a health-related aspect.

The event is organised in partnership between Wiltshire Council and NHS Wiltshire and will be held in the Council Chamber.

Students from St Edmunds Girls’ School in Salisbury and St Johns School in Marlborough, will be debating whether the school experience trains people to be compliant subjects rather than engaged and questioning citizens.

Sex education is the business of the family not the school, will be debated by Matravers School in Westbury and The John of Gaunt School, Trowbridge.

The topic up for discussion between Hardenhuish School in Chippenham and Lavington School, is whether bullying is an inevitable fact of life.

The last debate of the day is between South Wilts Grammar School in Salisbury and The Corsham School. They will cover the topic, pampered teenagers in the 21st Century do not know how well off they are.

Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire Council said, “It is always a pleasure to see young people in the council chamber debating issues that affect them, and to hear the conviction and the fluency with which they present their ideas.”

Damian Haasjes of the voice and influence team will chair the debate and cllr Scott will open the proceedings.

A senior representative of NHS Wiltshire’s Public Health Team will be on hand to present the trophy to the winning team at the end of the day.