The team of five students from Anambra State that will represent Nigeria in this year’s edition of the World Schools Debate Championship has started its preparations for the Championship on a brilliant note, out-shinning the Debate Team of Katong Convent School in Singapore where it is currently under-going training in global debate best practices.

The Anambra Debate Team had emerged champions at the President’s Schools Debate Contest held in Ogun State last October to mark Nigeria’s 55th Independence and consequently assumed the status of Nigeria’s flagbearer in the World Schools Debate Championship for 2016. To represent Nigeria in the global championship, Team Anambra had to consign Kaduna and Niger State contingents to second and third positions respectively at the Abeokuta Championship.

Since arriving Singapore for the special training that would put it on the right track for a competitive performance on the global stage, Team Anambra has demonstrated a keen appetite for learning, adjusting quickly to the new environment and soaking up crucial speaking skills from renowned debate coaches culminating in its comprehensive victory over Katong Convent School.

Offering insights into the performance of the Team in Singapore, the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha who travelled with the students said: “Since we arrived on Monday, the students have been receiving training from renowned debate coaches on the global best practices in debate. They had a lot to take in to prepare for the friendly debate with Singaporean schools.”

Prof. Omenugha applauded the students for improving on their performance, saying; “We are quite impressed with their improved performance. Today, our joy knew no bounds when Team Anambra in a friendly debate with Katong Convent School clearly beat their opponent. Katong Convent School is a Catholic secondary school which is one of the oldest secondary schools in Singapore dating over 80 years.”

According to her, “The coaches were quite marvelled by how much the students had to learn within such a short time and their ability to adapt so easily. The efforts the children put in were amazing; always guided by our determination to make our ‘family, our state and our nation proud’.”

News Express recalls that last year, Team Anambra, made up of a different set of students that were randomly selected from public schools across the state had put up a great performance at the World Schools Debate Championship where it took the third position.

Anambra has also continued to show a great deal of promise in education, maintaining a table-topping performance in WAEC and NECO exams in the past three years. During his recent visit to the state, the Registrar/Chief Executive of NECO, Prof. Abdulrashid Garbahad, applauded Anambra for recording almost 80% in 5 Credits including English Language and Mathematics in year 2015.

•Photo shows Anambra Debate Team with Gov Obiano.

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