Kerry and Dublin students will be pitted against each other in the final of this year's GDI German Debating Competition.

The competition, organised by the German Teachers Association of Ireland, was awarded the European Label for Innovative Projects in Language Learning and Teaching in 1999.

The debates aim to provide second-level students with a chance to use language skills beyond the confines of the classroom, and to develop confidence and teamwork. The two finalist teams are from St John's Secondary School, Balloonagh, Tralee, Co Kerry, and St Kilian's German School, Clonskeagh, Dublin. Sponsored by Siemens, the final takes place at the Goethe Institute in Merrion Square, Dublin, on Tuesday, May 18th, at 6 p.m. So far competitors have battled through five rounds of debates, with a total of 56 schools taking part. The motion for the final is - oh dear - "Die Medien sind der Fluch unseres Zeitalters". That's "the Media are the Curse of our Times".