Sokode School wins 22nd National Inter-SHS debate

PSokode Senior High and Technical School won the 22nd National Inter-Senior High School Debate finale on Thursday, as part of activities leading to Ghana’s 62nd Independence Day celebration.

The event, organised by the Ghana Education Service (GES), dubbed: ‘Celebrating peace and unity’, aimed at bringing out ideas from the younger generation and their knowledge in matters that would promote peace and unity in the country.

The debate was held between Acherensua Senior High School in the Brong-Ahafo Region, representing the Northern Zone, and Sokode Senior High and Technical School in the Volta Region, representing the Southern Zone.

It was on the motion, ‘In promoting lasting peace and unity, traditional rule offers a better option than the judicial system’.

Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, the Minister of Education, in a speech read on his behalf, said the debate provided a healthy platform in which civilised societies exchanged ideas adding that it was a much better forum than the imposition of ideas by brute physical force.

“It is, therefore, heart-warming that we are inculcating in our young ones the idea that ‘Jaw-Jaw’ is always better than War-War.”

Dr Prempeh said the motion underlined the incontestable fact that all societies needed peace and unity to progress and survive and that those elements must be promoted and nurtured to ensure their maintenance.

“One mechanism to be initiated would be rewarding good behaviours and punishing the bad ones,” he said.

He commended the two senior high schools for making it thus far and the teachers for their support and sacrifices in training the students to bring out their best.

The minister, however, urged the parents and families of students who participated to continue giving them the inspiration to believe in themselves and be their best no matter the challenges.

Dr Doris Yaa Dartey, the Managing Consultant and Chairperson of the Panel of Judges, said the debate had been educative and interactive with the debators having researched into the topic and elaborating their points well.

She said though the schools were initially not aware whether they were debating ‘For’ or ‘Against’ the motion and were given their positions at the event, they performed creditably, adding that she was impressed. GNA