High school debate tournament held at St. George’s Diocesan College

Ann-Adeva NjambaliThe High School debate tournament which was held at St. George’s Diocesan College took place on 15 to 16 June. The two-day tournament was organized by Jonas Nekomba, president of the Unam Socratic Society and debate coach. The opening ceremony on Friday, was graced by Unam SRC vice president Inna Hengari, Nanso representative Maximaliant Katjimune and Dickson Kasote representing Unesco. The welcoming remarks and motivational speeches kicked off the debate under the theme “leave no child behind for Africa’s development”. All debaters and public speakers were accompanied by either a debate coach or teacher acting as a coach. Overall, the tournament consisted of four preliminary rounds, one semi-final and final round. The motions for the debate ranged from the right of the African Child, army conscription and women empowerment. The semi finals and final rounds had unprepared motions. Adjudicators consisted of students with debating experience from the University of Namibia (Unam), Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) with the help of coaches and teachers. With more than one adjudicator allocated to each session, the results were as fair and effective as possible. Both teams from Jan Mohr Secondary School went against each other in the semifinals; with the A team making it to finals. After winning against Delta Secondary School Windhoek, Windhoek Gymnasium went head to head against Jan Mohr Secondary School A in a riveting debate, with Jan Mohr Secondary School being crowned the winner. The tournament overall was a success with the help of volunteers, teachers and management from the college assisting as Time Keepers and any other help needed by participants. Stakeholders were happy about the event as it highlighted the need for critical thinking through argumentative skills of persuasion. These are all ingredients vital to an academic career and communication skills. The event will be hosted annually at the St. Georges Diocesan College which is a testament to the large number of participants. Winners either in Public Speaking and debating sections are eligible to represent their schools and regions at a national level.The event has just highlighted the need for young people to be involved in discourse about issues on a continental and global scale. It was quite interesting to see so many intelligent, prominent like-minded young people engaging in deliberations on issues affecting them or other African countries. Surely there is a need for more coaches and debate workshop to bring Namibian debaters at an international level and accommodate much larger groups in such events. *Ann-Adeva Njambali is a third year Political Science and Sociology student at the University of Namibia (Unam).

High school debate tournament held at St. George’s Diocesan College

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-09

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High school debate tournament held at St. George’s Diocesan College

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-09

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