The Movement to Promote Positive Impact in Collaboration with D-15 Radio on Tuesday April 5, 2022 officially launched the Bushrod Island Inter High School Debate Competition.
The on-going competition is taking place between high schools within the Bushrod Island communities.
Serving as keynote speaker at the official launching program was the Director of Press and Public Affairs at the Ministry of Information Culture Affairs and Tourism, Lawrence Fahnbulleh, who outlined some of the importance of debate competition to the students, to include the exchange of intellectual muscles, identification of key national issues and the means of addressing them, as well as building links, creativity and innovations among the young scholars.
He told the gathering that debate students are often ahead of some of their colleagues because of the complex and extensive researches they conduct which also helps them to always be on top of their game, unlike their other colleagues.
According to him, classroom debate gives students the ability to make reasonable and well thought and informed arguments for the betterment of the society.
Highlighting more importance of debate to the larger society, Director Fahnbulleh emphasized that debate prepares a person to work in the global community by teaching about social, political and moral issues.
“Debate is an excellent school tool to encourage higher order and critical thinking skills, and it also teaches students to stream and organize well,” he noted.
Reflecting on some of the benefits of debate to the young debaters, Lawrence told the participants that high school debate is very good because it helps to improve one’s reading ability, and the way debaters look at things in society can be quite different from the ordinary person.
Whilst commending the organizers for such a meaningful program, Fahnbulleh urged the students to debate on key national issues that are unfolding across the country with the focus of finding a solution to some of them.
“I want to encourage you to use your debating time to highlight the progress made by this government under the leadership of President George Manneh Weah, ranging from road connectivity to modern market construction as well as the digitalization of the University of Liberia registration process and the tuition free program, among others.
He underscored that all of these initiatives thus far undertaken by the government are geared towards making Liberia better under the pro-poor government of President George Weah.