Naps Girls shine at JA Debate series

Compelling and well-articulated arguments by Naparima Girls’ High School convinced the judges to declare them winners of the first segment of round two of the 2017 Junior Achievement (JA) National Secondary Schools Debate Series held at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business on Thursday.

Supporting the motion “Be it resolved that the education system that currently exists in Trinidad and Tobago is sufficient to produce successful 21st Century global citizens”, Naparima students, Nirvana Maharaj and Shreya Gopeesingh, turned back a spirited response by their counterparts from Presentation College, Chaguanas, Tej Capildeo and Kabir Singh.

The JA Leadership Debate Series aims to develop critical thinking, the development of research and problem-solving skills, promote dispute resolution skills among youths, and cultivate a positive cadre of youths to become productive citizens.

The judging panels for both debates comprised Dr. Rose-Ann Walker, Merle Carrington, Nicola Harvey-Mitchell and Maureen Power. The debates were chaired by Chrystal Lloyd, with Elizabeth Calder as timekeeper.

In her review of the Naparima-Presentation encounter, Dr. Walker said that the teams offered enlightened, exciting and stylistic presentations. “Debate is about persuasion. What you say must be backed up by facts, referencing reliable sources. We feel the future of Trinidad and Tobago is in great hands when we hear the debaters,” she noted. On the NorthGate-Holy Faith debate, Dr. Walker stressed the importance of preparation and strategy. “Strategy is how well a team puts its points together and how it uses its time to present its argument. This has been an engaging and challenging round,” she added.

In his opening remarks, JA Executive Director, J. Errol Lewis, thanked the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business for partnering with the organisation to stage the debating initiative.

Round three of the JA Leadership Debating Series runs from November 8 to 10. Quarter-finals are scheduled for November 15 & 16; semi-finals come off on November 22; with the grand finals carded for November 29.