The campaign for gender representation in decision making took a refreshing turn December 14 when secondary school students from three schools in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, locked horns at Visa Karena to argue for or against having women on decision-making platforms.
The executive director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Center, Dr Emem Okon said the shift to school debate was to create awareness among the young on the need to understand and support gender equality ensuring mutual respect among both genders. Debate is a sensitization programme aimed at getting participants to spread learning from the opinions expressed to others as they go back and creating room to be more accepting of others to promote inclusion, as everyone in society is important and deserves to be heard.
She said it was part of a programme in partnership with WRAPA and Ma Arthur Foundation focused on promoting gender equality and social inclusion and addressing gender based violence in the society.
A director in the Rivers State Ministry of Education, Dr Sam Jamabo said school debates should be encouraged as they promote functional skills that enhance work and development opportunities, noting that many of the leaders in society today, were all debaters in their school days.
“Debates should be encouraged because they help develop functional skills like critical thinking, communication, public speaking, thought arrangement roles that are critical to success in life.
“Leaders of today were all debaters in their school days. As you dedicate yourself to this ability, you will become great. Take the opportunity and use it critically,” he charged the participating schools.
The education expert reeled out 10 success nuggets to help students grow to greatness listing, keeping away from small minds, developing courage, learning from the best, thinking before talking to avoid noise, being prepared, pursuing value rather than success, enriching others to become rich and using past experiences to make the future better.
Other values he advocated for success include, being loyal to the country, not government always, standing out from the crowd, knowing where you want to be and believing that you can be great.
At the end of two rounds of debate which saw students from Meekfield Academy falling off at round one. Government Girls Secondary School Oromenike emerged champions with 25 points against 18.5 points from hard fighting Light Bearers Group of Schools students.
debate officials
Schools pose with debate officials, others
