Government Secondary School (GSS) Gonin Gora, on Friday In kaduna, won an inter-school debate competition organised by an NGO, Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI), under the project “Learning Without Limit” (LWL).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the title of the competition was “Traditional Learning is Better than Digital Learning”, where some of the schools supported the notion, while the others spoke against.
The project beneficiaries, who were female students, came from eight public secondary schools within Kaduna State.
The schools were Government Girls Secondary School Kabala Costain; GSS Babban Saura, GSS Rigachukun, GSS Television, GSS Doka, GSS Rigasa and GSS Doka.
One of the competitors of the winner school, Onyedum Mary, said she studied hard and made observations and research regarding the topic.
She thanked her teachers and organisers of the debate for giving them the opportunity to represent the school and emerged winner at the end of the exercise.
Earlier, Mr. Mendie Jeremiah, the Program Officer, Gender, of EWEI, said the objective was to enlighten the girls on the synergy between traditional and digital learning while improving their public speaking skills.
Jeremiah, also the Secondary Focal Person of the LWL project, said the debate was also to emphasise to the girls the importance of having side by side the traditional and digital learning systems.
He said the debate was to make the girls combine both in their learning process, noting that learning was not meant to end in the classroom in the era of digitisation.
“They need to build their capacity through virtual learning by leveragiing on techology as well as in the classroom where they can get other source of information to improve learning in class.
“The debate is also to build their self esteem, confidence and leadership qualities, just as their male counterparts, having the same right to explore life to the fullest,”he said.
“It is also to bridge the digital gap between male and female students in terms of access to online learning, where we provided the girls with mobile phones and data to enable them to access information.
“We also provide them with virtual learning instructors, covering mathematics, English Language, Geography, Government and biology,” Jeremiah said.
He further said the beneficiaries were picked from both arts and science classes.
Jeremiah disclosed that the LWL, a two-year project supported by the Girls Opportunity Alliance, had ended the first year with the day’s activities.
“The activity for the second year will begin on Oct. 8 to September 2023,”he said
Also, the Comissioner for Education in Kaduna, Hajiya Halima Lawal, commended EWEI for the initiative, noting that it was a viable tool in enhancing the girls courage and feeling of worth.
Lawal, represented by Mrs Mercy Kude, said the debate was a good idea for learning.
“It is about communicative competence which encompasses speaking, listening, reading and writing,” she said.
She congratulated the participants and urged them to keep working hard to achieve all their desires in the future without feeling or thought of their gender as a barrier.
Also, Hajiya Sa’adatu Mahmud, the Director, Gender, Kaduna State Ministry of Human Services and Social Development, urged the girls to be more confident in all their endeavours.
She said imbibing confidence would contribute to their self-development and the state.
She said Kaduna was a gender friendly state, noting that many of the top office holders were women and as such, served as motivation to the girls.
NAN reports that the debate also featured inter-school recyclable crafts display, where they were rewarded for their contribution to climate action.
The high point of the event was the presentation of awards to fist, second and third runner-up.(NAN)