![Sokode School wins 22nd National Inter-Senior High Debate](http://www.ghananewsagency.org/assets/images/education-independence-debate-new.jpg)
By Grace Princess Tarwo, GNA
Accra, March 01, GNA - Sokode Senior High and Technical School won the 22nd National Inter-Senior High Debate finale on Thursday as part of activities leading to Ghana’s 62nd Independence Day celebrations.
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 on which civilized 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.
“Listening to the students make such brilliant points gives me hope for Ghana,” Dr Darty said, and that to avoid political violence people needed to accept defeat.
She called on the Ghana Education Service to summarise the key points made to form a policy document or concept note.
Dr Abena Animewaa Yeboah-Banin, a Lecturer at the Department of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, who chaired the event, said the debate was to bring out the thoughts of the young ones and take a closer look at the lapses in their presentation.
She said the students demonstrated professionalism in their presentation and were able to educate their audience well on the topic, bringing out the convergence between the two systems; Traditional Rule and Judicial System.
She commended the students, organisers and the sponsor - Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications - for the good work and expressed the hope that such discussions would continue to inspire the public.
Both schools were presented with cash prizes, laptops and desktops.
GNA
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