VANESSA A
Schools have been urged to embrace and allow their students to engage in co-curricular activities like debating to instill confidence and critical thinking in them.
This call was made by Rauben Behangana, the Director of Zeal Epitomized Debate Society, in a competition held by ZEDS that included five schools from Ntungamo district: Bwongyera Girls High School, Ntungamo Girls High School, Standard College Ntungamo, Rubare S.S, and Ntungamo High School.
He further thanked all the schools that participated in the competition, urging even those that didn’t to make it a point to attend next time as it benefits their students to excel academically.
Constance Tusingwire Nalongo, Headteacher of Ntungamo Girls High School, gave a vote of thanks to the ZEDS team for choosing them as the host school and giving students the chance to engage in debate competitions and public speaking, saying this has been of great importance to them.
She further expressed her excitement, saying students have gained a lot of confidence and critical thinking skills, as they can now identify a problem and find solutions, as well as improve their spoken English.
Patron of Bwongyera Girls Secondary School, Nampebwa Hadijjah, also thanked the organizers of these competitions, saying they have benefited a lot as patron schools because their students have acquired many skills like confidence, public speaking, and critical thinking.
She also called upon all schools to embrace this co-curricular activity and allow students to express themselves, show their capabilities, and associate with others through public speech and debate competitions.
Ziporah Ainemaani, who was crowned the best speaker, acknowledged that debate and public speaking competitions have been of great importance to them, for example in critical thinking before making a decision, instilling confidence, and improving public speaking skills.
She further urged her fellow students to engage in such activities to also benefit, as these skills will help them excel academically.
Bwongyera Girls High School emerged the winners of the competitions.
