Climate change debating competition maiden edition; first pilot in Greater Accra Region is here. Is your School ready?
At 8 am in the morning on the 22nd of September 2023, Thousands of students arrived at the Presbyterian Boys School Legon to participate in the debate competition. Eight schools competing, We have; Accra Academy Senior High School, Accra Girls Senior High School, Achimota Senior High School, Chemu Senior High School, Labone Senior High School, Presbyterian Boys Secondary School Legon, St. Mary’s Senior High School and St. Thomas Aquinas Senior. Each school represented by three debaters team and their two teachers trainees who have taken them through rigorous training and preparation for this context.
Registration and seating went on till 9 am. The organizers Disaster Resilience Network Ghana, DRNGhana in partnership with Ghana Education Service GES, have the venue setup, and their expectations are for students be ready for critical thinking, research and public speaking to groom them to understand how they will tackle the climate change growing inequalities and pressures on our environment and planets. The contestants will debate on two motions: The first Is “The economic benefit of artisanal small-scale mining worth the climate and environmental damage we are experiencing? And the second motion is “Should climate change adaptation and sustainable development be included in the school’s curriculum?
Four schools represented Group A to debate for and the other four group B to debate against the motion in round one. Two schools from each group emerged winners and advanced to the next round two. Where Debate teams inter-changed their arguments for and against the motions. Chemu, Achimota, Labone advance to the last round. A new balloting was done and the Chief judge announced what school debate for and against the motion.
The second motion was introduced and the action begun. Points presented by the debaters were accepted by the audience with cheers and claps. Some of the points made the audience feel the facts. There was so much talents in the room, articulations were made and roved. The debate was so interesting with the exchange of students’ perspectives by equally stating the merits and demerits of going for the economic benefits or destruction of the environment, heightening climate change mainstreaming in the education sector curricula.
For one hour and twenty minutes the panel of judges came to their conclusions with the verdict. 1st Chemu won the first prize with 10,000Ghs, individual custom medals, certificate of participation and a Brewer Cup trophy award. 1st runner up went to Achimota, they received GHS8,000 cash prize, certificate of participation individual custom medals. Labone won the second runner-up with 6,000 cash prize, a certificate of participation and individual custom medals. All five remaining participating schools were given GHS1,000 cash prize and certificates of participation.
The pilot implementation has a duration for five years and it is anticipated to cover all the sixteen regions of Ghana. With gradual phases in each region, showing proof of concept that guarantees improvements and establishing a framework to institutionalize the debate. Planned post-debate activities to brand all participating schools as a resilient school and their debate teams climate resilient ambassadors. All mopping up for tangible climate solution project for each school. Welcome to a great experience where schools, teachers and students are on the forefront implementing climate actions projects in their homes, schools and communities.