Posted On: 10 November, 2026
On November 7–8, 2026, TNIS and Point Avenue hosted VMDC Season 5, bringing together 94 primary and middle school debate teams. See the format and results.
On November 7–8, 2026, True North International School (TNIS) hosted Season 5 of the Vietnam Middle School Debate Championship (VMDC), welcoming 94 primary and middle school teams from across Vietnam. Over two days of competition, students sharpened their reasoning, their English and their academic fortitude in an internationally recognized format.
At a glance
- Dates: November 7–8, 2026
- Venue: True North International School, Ha Dong, Hanoi
- Organizers: TNIS, co-organized with Point Avenue
- Scale: 94 teams: 73 in the Middle School division (Grades 6–8) and 21 in the Primary division (Grades 4–5)
- Format: World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC)
- Champions: VAGM (Primary), CHAM (Middle School – Open), DOMITI MILK AND HONEY (Middle School – Junior)
VMDC (Vietnam Middle School Debate Championship) is an academic debate competition for primary and middle school students. Founded in 2022, it quickly became one of Vietnam's leading debate tournaments, drawing students from public, bilingual and international schools.
Season 5 took place just seven months after Season 4. This is the first time VMDC has held two seasons in a single year, and both attracted nearly 100 teams. Those numbers show the lasting appeal of academic debate among younger students.
The organizers see VMDC as a learning journey first and a competition second. Students tackle complex social issues in a structured academic setting. Through each round, they:
VMDC closely reflects "Academic Fortitude," a value TNIS holds at its core: the readiness to meet high standards and take on hard challenges. For us, losing a round or facing a tough rebuttal is a lesson in resilience. It is also a quality students will need as they step onto regional and international stages.
VMDC follows the World Schools Debating Championship (WSDC) format, one of the most respected debate standards in the world. Speaking times are adjusted by age group:
The biggest challenge is that each motion is announced only 30 minutes before the round. In that short window, every team must analyze the issue, assign roles and build its entire line of argument.
Every VMDC adjudicator is trained and assessed before the tournament. Each panel includes a chair, wing adjudicators and trainee adjudicators. Students can also submit feedback on adjudicators after their rounds, which keeps the panel transparent and accountable for every decision.
After two days of preliminary and elimination rounds, the tournament closed with an awards ceremony on November 8.
After two days of preliminary and elimination rounds, the tournament closed with an awards ceremony on November 8.
Alongside the team awards, the organizers honored the Top 15 Best Speakers, the students who showed the strongest argumentation and delivery of the tournament.
TNIS congratulates all the winning teams and thanks every student, adjudicator, parent and our partner Point Avenue for making this season a success.
Inspired by Hanoi's place as Vietnam's "True North," True North International School offers a comprehensive international education. As a pioneer of the AP Capstone program in Vietnam, TNIS sees competitions like VMDC as a way to prepare students for global universities: to ask good questions, build sound arguments and listen to different points of view.
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