Ebonyi state government yesterday, launched the commencement of the maiden edition of schools Sports competition and debate studies into primary and secondary schools across the State.
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr Onyebuchi Chima, and his counterpart of the Sports and Youth Development Ministry, Charles Akpuenika, disclosed this to newsmen in Abakaliki while unveiling the programmes tagged “Governor David Nweze Umahi School Sports, debate and quiz .”
The Education Commissioner who also announced the commencement of Schools Quiz competiton across all educational levels in the State, noted that the innovations were part of outcome of the recent End SARS youth Summit held in the State.
He further explained that the essence of the debate and quiz introductions were to further equip the children academically, improve their art of public speaking as well as engage them to contribute to governance.
He added that the Sporting activities would help to harness and harvest talents from the schools which would form the bedrock for sports development in the State.
Chima further explained that Schools in the State had commenced their inter-house sporting activities before they were stopped by the outbreak of COVID-19 Pandemic. He therefore, directed Principals and head teachers of all the schools in the State to resume and conclude their inter house events to source and prepare talents for the Local government, zonal and State level representations.
Chima said: “We are here to inform you of certain key programmes and projects we have started.
” Let me inform you that we want to start the maiden edition of Governor David Nweze Umahi School Sports.
“It is designed as an avenue for harvesting talents.
” Education as we know, should not just be conventional education, but all encompassing, giving opportunity for our children to be trained academically as well as harvesting their talents.
“Sports development is one of the requests of the youths during the #EndSARS Summit, and for us to develop sports, we have to start from the young in the educational system.
“It’s going to be annual event, going on every academic year, and it is designed to include both the public and private schools, with primary and secondary schools involved.
“As we are doing that, we will not engage sports alone. We will engage in two more other things for those who may not be too good Sports.
” That is why today again we are announcing the maiden edition of Governor David Nweze Umahi School Debate.
“Also today again, we wish to announce the Governor David Nweze Umahi School Quiz.
“The focus would be English, Mathematics, the Sciences, Igbo language writing and culture as well as Current Affairs and National issues.
“This quiz is also designed to engage the children academically, but most especially, to understand the values we have in Nigeria, and most importantly, Ebonyi State.
“This debate is not just that of the Centenary Debate team which has been existing in the State.
” This debate is going to be continuous; it is going to be part of our school curriculum.
“The School debate and the school Quiz which I also hereby announce, will be part of our school curriculum.
” The Ministry will build it into the school curriculum such that it becomes the way and the procedure through which we shall be training our children, and we have started the process already.
“The debate is going to be in two segments: those that are under sixteen, and those above 16, and so shall the topics be assigned reflecting the Senior Primary to Junior Secondary Schools, and the Senior Secondary Schools up to the university levels.”
In attendance at the briefing were Executives of ANCOPSS, AOPSHON, NUT as well as heads of various departments of the two Ministries.
