We believe that the medium of debate imparts skillsets required of a 21st century workforce and enables individuals to better engage with society and the world they live in.
We believe that debate helps individuals to:
One of the strongest ways to persuade an audience is to appeal to their intellect.
This requires the construction of logical arguments which are internally consistent, complete and, compelling. This also applies to the deconstruction of opposing arguments, often done instantaneously in a competitive debate setting.
The ability to build and refute logically and critically is at the core of debate.
Individuals who possess these skills know how to approach various issues, prioritise the best arguments, identify gaps in reasoning etc. This makes them highly sought after by top schools and companies.
Debate disciplines the mind to engage in focused and clear thinking which are key pillars of effective persuasion.
Debate imparts the know-how to construct and convey ideas wholly and without distraction such that an audience without prior knowledge is able to follow the thought process with ease.
The ability to think and communicate one’s thoughts clearly, both written and spoken, is paramount as it is demanded in school work, interviews, work interactions and various other aspects of modern life.
We believe that the ability to express oneself fully with ease creates a strong sense of personal satisfaction and achievement.
Good logic needs to be supported by the intentional choice of language and use of communication styles to create sway and win over an audience.
The medium of debate provides the environment for individuals to learn and master these skills. This is especially evident in competitive debate as judges will need to determine a winner from participating teams.
Effective debaters are also powerful orators as they have learnt how language, voice and manner create sympathy, understanding and support for their position and perspectives.
Knowing how to persuade an audience is a must-have skill, regardless of one’s age or profession to flourish in the 21st century.
Debates replicate real world scenarios where adversarial as well as affable circumstances can arise.
Debate teaches individuals how to defend their position when questioned and respond with equanimity. This is especially apparent in competitive debate where debaters are given as little as 15 minutes to prepare a complex case and deliver it in front of a large audience.
Regular exposure to an environment of debate creates mentally resilient individuals who are able to handle similar conditions of stress e.g. school/ work interviews, business meetings and pitches with greater ease.
Debate promotes and encourages holistic thinking.
Debaters are not given a choice when it comes to debate topics and are required to defend their assigned sides. Thus, they must learn to be balanced in learning different perspectives on a certain issue and overcoming personal or social prejudices they may possess.
Individuals who undergo such rigour tend to be more empathetic and open to different viewpoints in society enabling them to be more open-minded and self-aware.
This is especially important as in contemporary society, an individual will need to interact with others who come from different backgrounds and communicate with people who hold alternate points of view with respect.
Curriculum Advisor & Coach
Upon the completion of his Public Service Commission Overseas Merit Scholarship in 2012, Sam pursued his passion to become a professional debate and oratory coach. He works full time with schools such as Raffles Institution, Hwa Chong Institution and Anglo-Chinese Junior College. He regularly conducts training and workshops on debate, public speaking, negotiation, and model UN activities with a wide range of schools and institution in Singapore and abroad.
Sam has previously worked in the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Law and graduated from Harvard University in 2006.
Co-founder, Director & Coach
Stephanie is a co-founder and director of RedDot Academy. She is passionate about promoting debate and has over 15 years of experience as a debater, adjudicator, coach, and organiser of debate events.
Stephanie has worked in business consulting for the past 8 years advising Fortune 100 companies across various FMCG and government agencies. She currently works as a business analyst for a Fortune 15 company.
Founder & Director
Teik Kee’s involvement in debate begun when his son, Teoh Ren Jie, was selected to represent Singapore in the World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) in 2008. During the 5 years when his son debated competitively, Teik Kee became convinced that debate skills are an intellectual asset that every individual needs to have.
Since then, Teik Kee has become a keen supporter of Singapore debate circuit and was one of the key organising committee members when Singapore hosted the WSDC in 2015.
In a career spanning 30 years, Teik Kee has held senior positions in investment and stock-broking firms. Since stepping down from a full-time job as an executive director of a Singapore Main Board listed company in 2010, Teik Kee has been pursuing his passion of helping start-ups and deal structuring in the education and healthcare sectors.
Teik Kee is currently a non-executive director of two public listed companies in Singapore and Malaysia.
Apart from his debate achievements, Agrim has chaired a total of 9 MUN conferences and won many hackathons including the Tech-in-Asia Start-up hackathon, 2014 and Budweiser’s Dream Brewery Hackathon in the same year.
He is the co-founder of a tech start-up and remains actively involved in the local debate circuit. He currently splits his time between building out augmented/mixed reality products and producing music.
Curriculum Advisor & Coach
Mary Ann is based in Singapore as the SEA Drama and Performance Consultant for Trinity College London. She has conducted many workshops and seminars for teachers all over the world and continues to direct and lecture at NAFA, SOTA and Laselle in Singapore.
Mary Ann has been the voice coach for the ACJC Drama Elective Programme (DEP) since 2014. She was voice coach to the Singapore Schools Debating Team who won the World Schools Competition in 2015 and 2017 – she continues to train communicators and debaters with an emphasis on Voice Care.
Preamble
This is a site operated by RedDot Academy Singapore Pte Ltd (“RedDot Academy”). We are a company incorporated in Singapore under the Business Registration Number UEN201612336D.
By accessing this Website, you, the User, acknowledge that you have read, understood and agree to be legally bound by the following Terms of Use (“Terms of Use”). You also acknowledge that this channel of communication constitutes sufficient notice of the terms and sufficient opportunity to familiarise yourself with them. RedDot Academy reserves the right to modify the Terms of Use at any time without prior notice.
1. Copyright and intellectual property
1.1. | All content found on our Website such as but not limited to texts, marks, logos, diagrams, photographs videos, music, design, know-how, best practices, technologies and educational products (“Web Content”) is the property of RedDot Academy, except where such content is used by RedDot Academy with the authorisation of any third party under any license or any other applicable agreement.
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1.2. | The Web Content owned by RedDot Academy is protected by copyright, trademarks and such intellectual property rights as exist under any applicable law.
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1.3. | Except where this is expressly stated, neither the Web Content nor any part of these Terms of Use shall be construed as granting the user a license, permission, or any other right to use any part of the Web Content, whether that part is the property of RedDot Academy or a third party.
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1.4. | Should you wish to use any part of the Web Content, kindly drop us a message at info@reddotacademy.com.sg to obtain our written consent. RedDot Academy neither warrants nor represents that your use of any Web Content will not infringe the rights of third parties.
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1.5. | RedDot Academy has done our best to ensure that it does not infringe the copyright and/or other intellectual property rights of third parties. Should you become aware of any such infringement, we would appreciate it if you email us at info@reddotacademy.com.sg. |
2. Privacy Policy
2.1. | Any personal information or date provided to us by Users is governed by our Privacy Policy.
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2.2. | For the avoidance of doubt, except where the User expressly provides otherwise, Users hereby grant permission to RedDot Academy to adapt, modify and/or use any ideas, comments, know-how, expressions and/or other communications voluntarily provided via the Website without any right to remuneration. The User hereby agrees to waive any legal rights and/or claims to such content which the User voluntarily provides. |
3. Availability of Educational Products and/or Services
3.1 | RedDot Academy’s educational products and/or services are offered in Singapore only except where expressly stated or where special arrangements have been made for us to conduct these products, services and/or programs overseas. We are open to making such arrangements – drop us an email at info@reddotacademy.com.sg.
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3.2. | RedDot Academy does not warrant or represent that any given program, product or service will definitely be available at any given time or in any given country. |
4. Formation of Contracts Through the Website
4.1. | From time to time, RedDot Academy may offer products, services or programs (“Products”) which can be ordered via the Website or via telephone. After placing an online order, you will receive an e-mail from us acknowledging that we have received your order. Please note that this does not mean that your order has been accepted. Your order constitutes an offer to us to buy a Product. All telephone and on-line orders are subject to acceptance by us, and we will confirm such acceptance to you either during our telephone conversation or email. Any enforceable contract with RedDot Academy will only be formed when we communicate such acceptance to you and is subject to the prevailing rules of contract formation under the applicable law
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4.2. | You are obliged to make payment in FULL when you check out your orders. Should no contract be formed, RedDot Academy will return to you the amount paid |
5. Limitation of Liability
5.1. | RedDot Academy is not responsible for any damage, injury, injury to reputation, economic loss, loss of profits or any other type of loss that may arise from your accessing, using and/or relying on the Web Content. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes any loss arising from your reliance on any information or content in the Web Content, or loss from or damage caused by viruses or other malware which infects your computer as a result of your access and/or use of the Web Content.
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5.2. | RedDot Academy also reserves the right to interrupt, modify, discontinue or remove any or all of the Web Content, without incurring liability of any kind in respect of damage caused by your reliance on, use of and/or access to the said Web Content.
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5.3. | RedDot Academy does not represent or warrant the accuracy, reliability, quality or completeness of any information found on the Website.
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5.4. | RedDot Academy does not endorse or adopt any statements, views or opinions made the authors of any blog post on the Blog. These statements, views or opinions remain those of the author responsible for the blog post. RedDot Academy disclaims and shall not be held liable in any action for defamation, or for any injury to reputation or any other kind of loss which relates to a blog post. |
6. External links
6.1. | RedDot Academy does not make any warranty or representation about the accuracy, legality or safety of content hosted on or found on external websites to which links or hyperlinks are provided on the Website. We shall not be held responsible for any loss of any kind, howsoever caused, arising from your accessing such an external website. |
7. Headings
7.1. | The headings provided in these Terms of Use are for the purposes of convenience only, and shall be ignored in construing these Terms of Use. |
8. Notices
8.1. | All notices given by you to us must be given to RedDot Academy at info@reddotacademy.com.sg. We may give notices to you either via an e-mail or postal address that you provided to us when placing an order. |
9. Events Outside our Control
9.1. | We will not be liable or responsible for any failure to perform, or delay in performance of, any of our obligations under a contract that is caused by events outside our reasonable control (“Force Majeure Event”).
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9.2. | A Force Majeure Event includes any act, event, non-happening, omission or accident beyond our reasonable control and includes in particular (without limitation) the following:
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9.2.1. | strikes, lock-outs or other industrial action;
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9.2.2. | civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack, war (whether declared or not) or threat or preparation for war;
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9.2.3. | fire, explosion, storm, flood, earthquake, subsidence, epidemic or other natural disaster;
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9.2.4. | impossibility of the use of railways, shipping, aircraft, motor transport or other means of public or private transport;
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9.2.5. | impossibility of the use of public or private telecommunications networks; or
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9.2.6. | the acts, decrees, legislation, regulations or restrictions of any government.
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9.3. | We will use our reasonable endeavours to find a solution by which our obligations under the contract may be performed despite the Force Majeure Event. |
10. Waiver
10.1. | If we fail, at any time during the term of a contract, to insist upon the strict performance of any of your obligations under the contract or any of these Terms of Use, or if we fail to exercise any of the rights or remedies to which we are entitled under the contract, this shall not constitute a waiver of such rights or remedies and shall not relieve you from compliance with such obligations.
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10.2. | A waiver by us of any default shall not constitute a waiver of any subsequent default.
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10.3. | No waiver by us of any of these Terms of Use shall be effective unless it is expressly stated to be a waiver and is communicated to you in writing. |
11. Severability
11.1. | If any of these Terms of Use or any provisions of a contract are determined by any competent authority to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable to any extent; such term, condition or provision will to that extent be severed from the remaining terms, conditions and provisions which will continue to be valid to the fullest extent permitted by law. |
12. Entire Agreement
12.1. | These Terms of Use and any document expressly referred to in them represent the entire agreement between us in relation to the subject matter of any Contract and supersede any prior agreement, understanding or arrangement between us, whether oral or in writing.
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12.2. | We each acknowledge that, in entering into a Contract, neither of us has relied on any representation, undertaking or promise given by the other and that nothing may be implied from anything said or written in negotiations between us prior to such Contract except as expressly stated in these Terms of Use.
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12.3. | Neither of us shall have any remedy in respect of any untrue statement made by the other, whether orally or in writing, prior to the date of any Contract (unless such untrue statement was made fraudulently) and the other party’s only remedy shall be for breach of contract as provided in these Terms of Use. |
13. Dispute Resolution
13.1. | Both these Terms of Use and any contract for the purchase of Products via our Website shall be governed by the laws of the Republic of Singapore.
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13.2. | Should any dispute arise relating to the Terms of Use and/or the purchase of Products, both you and we submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Republic of Singapore. |
Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy (the “Policy”) applies to the collection, use and disclosure of an individual customer’s Personal Data (hereinafter defined) arising from goods and/or services offered by RedDot Academy Pte Ltd.
1. What information do we collect?
1.1. | We collect information from you when you register on our site, place an order or subscribe to our newsletter.
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1.2. | When ordering or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your: name, e-mail address, mailing address or phone number. You may, however, visit our site anonymously. |
2. What do we use your information for?
2.1. | Any of the information we collect from you may be used in one of the following ways:
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2.1.1. | To personalize your experience (your information helps us to better respond to your individual needs)
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2.1.2. | To improve our website (we continually strive to improve our website offerings based on the information and feedback we receive from you)
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2.1.3. | To improve customer service (your information helps us to more effectively respond to your customer service requests and support needs)
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2.1.4. | To process transactions (Your information, whether public or private, will not be sold, exchanged, transferred, or given to any other company for any reason whatsoever, without your consent, other than for the express purpose of delivering the purchased product or service requested).
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2.1.5. | To send periodic emails (The email address you provide for order processing, will only be used to send you information and updates pertaining to your order). |
3. How do we protect your information?
3.1. | We implement a variety of security measures to maintain the safety of your personal information when you place an order or enter, submit, or access your personal information.
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3.2. | We offer the use of a secure server. All supplied sensitive/credit information is transmitted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology and then encrypted into our Payment gateway providers database only to be accessible by those authorized with special access rights to such systems and are required to keep the information confidential.
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3.3. | After a transaction, your private information (credit cards, social security numbers, financials, etc.) will not be stored on our servers. |
4. Do we use cookies?
4.1. | Yes (Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer’s hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the sites or service providers systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information.
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4.2. | We use cookies to help us remember and process the items in your shopping cart and understand and save your preferences for future visits.
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4.3. | If you prefer, you can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies via your browser settings. Like most websites, if you turn your cookies off, some of our services may not function properly. However, you can still place orders over the telephone or by contacting customer service. |
5. Do we disclose any information to outside parties?
5.1. | We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information. This does not include trusted third parties who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. We may also release your information when we believe release is appropriate to comply with the law, enforce our site policies, or protect ours or others rights, property, or safety. However, non-personally identifiable visitor information may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses. |
6. Third party links
6.1. | Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third party products or services on our website. These third party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites. |
7. Personal Data Protection Act (Singapore)
7.1. | By using this site, you agree to allow us to collect or use your information in an appropriate manner in accordance to the Personal Data Protection Act of Singapore |
8. Online Privacy Policy Only
8.1. | This online privacy policy applies only to information collected through our website and not to information collected offline. |
9. Terms and Conditions
9.1. | Please also visit our Terms and Conditions section establishing the use, disclaimers, and limitations of liability governing the use of our website. |
10. Your Consent
10.1. | By using our site, you consent to our website’s Privacy Policy. |
11. Changes to our Privacy Policy
11.1. | If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on this page, and/or update the Privacy Policy modification date below. |
12. Contacting Us
12.1. | If there are any questions regarding this Privacy Policy you may contact us at info@reddotacademy.com.sg or by using the contact form. |
Kindly allow us some time to get back to you.
In the meantime, do check out our blog series ‘After the Bell’ which looks at how issues in competitive debate apply to the little red dot of Singapore!
Kindly allow us some time to get back to you. We are always excited to meet new people and exchange ideas about debate and everything else.
In the meantime, do check out our blog series ‘After the Bell’ which looks at how issues in competitive debate apply to the little red dot of Singapore!
Do drop us an email at info@reddotacademy.com.sg should you have queries about programmes and events at RedDot Academy.
We will respond to you as soon as we can!