The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Lagos State Chapter, says winners of its upcoming maiden debate competition will get free one term school fee, as a reward, among other medals.
Mrs Atinuke Oyenuga, Chairman, NAPPS Debate Committee, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday that 21 winners from different categories would emerge at the final competition.
The debate will hold on May 23 with lots of attraction such as drama, poetry, singing and dancing, among others.
Oyenuga said the tuition would be paid by the association to the schools of the students who would emerge as winners.
She said that any child that also makes it to the finals of the competition would get a small trophy as appreciation of the child’s and school’s efforts and an acknowledgment of the input of the parent.
According to her, the association had budgeted about N10 million to fund the project which is designed for the Basic Primary, Junior Secondary and the Senior Secondary students.
The chairman said the first and second round of the competition would hold between schools within the same district to produce winners that would represent the districts at the finals.
“We hope to get support from the Lagos State Government, Ministry of Youths, NAPPS members, industries and corporate bodies who are children-friendly and wishes to promote their products.
“We intend to pull as many children as we can together to listen to debate topics, to enable them know that what they see the older persons do, they can also do.
“Everyone of our member school is involved in the project and every child has equal opportunity,’’ Oyenuga said.
She said that in preparing children for life, the taxonomy of education must be considered by testing the comprehension, understanding, knowledge application and synthesising these into the everyday life .
“Individuals’ opinion must be orchestrated because if you do not express your mind, you may not know the value or your worth .
“Debates however develop you to know that not only your point of view matters and that other peoples’ opinion must also be respected.
“The chaos we are experiencing in life today, is because many people believe it is their opinion only that should prevail,’’ she said.
(NAN)
