As the Governor’s debating competition comes to an end, All Hallows Secondary School, Onitsha and Trinity Nursery Primary school, Onitsha have emerged as winners.
The finals of the event were held at the Community Education Resource Centre, Awka. The All Hallows emerged as champions of the Senior category while the Trinity Nursery and Primary won in the Junior category.
The All Hallows Seminary scored a total of 1,318 points to beat St. Michael’s Model Comprehensive Secondary School, Nimo to the second position with 1,299 points.
In the junior category, the Trinity Nursery Primary School, Onitsha polled a total of 1,253 points to beat Angel Gabriel Nursery Primary School, Okpuno to a second position with 1,240 points.
The Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha, expressed her joy at the performance of the debating schools, describing their performance as an attestation of time, commitment and efforts that their teachers invested in preparing them for the competition.
She urged schools to assess opportunities like this for their students, saying that it broadened the knowledge and harnessed untapped talents. “It also sharpens skills, instills self confidence and boldness, leading to producing confident students who can hold their forte in any area of life.”
The commissioner called on the debating schools to let the spirit of sportsmanship rule, regardless of who would emerge winners, as the essence of debate was to remain friends in argument.
The State Coordinator of Anambra Governor’s debate, Mrs. Amaka Aniekwe said that debating had helped in the revamping of schools’ debate and other extracurricular activities that were going extinct in schools. She also acknowledged the doggedness of the commissioner with regards to implementing the educational policies of the state