YPM TZ conducted debate competition which involved 55 schools in Lushoto District with a total 615 of students (Female 339 Male 276)
This Debate
competition started since February 2018 by forming a committee of five members
one from YPM staff and four teachers from different schools as team of coordinators.
The debate
involved various educational stakeholders and has involved all secondary
schools in Lushoto District Council and some six schools from the Bumbuli
Councils.
The
competition also included the Public Debate Format (PDF) training for all
English teachers at Secondary Schools established by the Youth Peacemakers
Tanzania.
On 10th
August, 2018 YPM in celebration of the International Youth Day conducted Debate
Competition Finals at the District level which was held at Shambalai Secondary
School hall. The District Commissioner of Lushoto was the guest of honor,
whereby other stakeholders such as the District Executive Director, the
District Education Officer, Ward Education Officers Radio Utume and the
community were invited to take part in the occasion. The District Commissioner
was represented by the Lushoto Division Officer.
In running this competition, the
following benefits were attained by the participants:-
1. Students were trained on S2C (Subject
to Citizen) which is one of the methodology used by YPM to create the sense of
responsibility, duty and rights among youths as community members.
2. Learners gained wider knowledge in the course
of preparation for the bigger event. They consulted, discussed and read
different sources to acquire evidence and supporting points for their
arguments.
3. Students develop self-confidence and
ability to present their topics in front of people from different caliber.
4. They got exposure by travelling from
one school to the other in carrying on with the competition at different
levels.
5. Learn more English language that was
used at all levels in the debate, not because Swahili is not important but as a
way to build skills on the media of learning used at Secondary Education.
6. Students created network, partnership
and peer to peer relations.
7. More than 40 teachers were able to
attend and learn new technics and methodology of conducting the PDF debate.
Despite these benefits we have also
met the following as follows;
1. Some
schools did not participate fully in the competition, without crucial reasons.
2. Financial
challenges was a major challenge especially during inter schools competition at
Ward levels, where students presenting one ward were required to meet another
ward.
3. The
students seem to lack strategies for preparing themselves as best presenters
and give strong evidence to support their arguments.
4. Many students are unaware of the Public
Debate Format (PDF)
Future Plans
1. We are looking forward to
a. Conducting debates that will be
involving all existing Secondary Schools in the Lushoto and Bumbuli Council.
b. Running a competition that will
involve all Secondary Schools in the Tanga Region (Inter district level)
c. Finding effective representatives who
will represent us in various issues at the National and International levels.
Based on so many direct and indirect
profitable benefits in this competition, YPM requests cooperation from various
stakeholders to enable the competition to succeed 100% for future years by
facilitating us in the following issues.
1. Assistance in transport and food for
students especially from inter-ward level.
2. Support the improvement of gifts to
bring more motivation to students
3. Intensified Public-Private
Partnership in this sector through involvement of our Councils(Lushoto and
Bumbuli) in improving the competition.
4. Ideas to make the competition
attractive, educative and empowering.