Abuja - The Federal Government has concluded plans to establish a National Debate Academy which will train students on how to debate local, national, and internationally issues.
Mr Ade Ayeni, Director of International Programmes, Presidential Schools Debate Nigeria (PSDN), disclosed this in an interview on Monday in Abuja.
Ayeni said that the academy would be established for students in primary and secondary schools.
“The debate academy will educate students on how to comport themselves during any competition and it will help them to develop their acts and skills during debates.
“ This will not only groom the students to be friendly with one another, but it will also help them in their school work. When you debate a lot, you will do well in oral English.
“We are also using this to do research topics because there are so many topics that the students research on before they can engage in debates.
“This will also expand their knowledge and also increases the use of ICT by the students,” Ayeni said.
He added that the academy would engage researchers and lecturers as well as recruit coaches and judges.
He said that the academy was collaborating with some international partners who would act as instructors to the children.
Ayeni said that the academy was also making efforts at involving partners and sponsors who would sponsor the participation of students in international debates.
He added that at the end of the training, the students would either go to Malaysia or Qatar for a refresher course before graduation.
He said that the Presidential Schools’ Debate Nigeria team was preparing to participate in 2013 Turkey World Schools’ Debate Championship.
“We have completed our registration for the championship in Turkey; the championship will start from Jan. 27 to Feb. 6, 2013.
“We are going with two teams which we will freeze into one when we get there; we are going with two of our best schools from Kaduna and Ebonyi states,” the director said.
He said that the schools were selected due to their outstanding performance in the state and international debate competitions.
He said that the Federal Government gave the approval for the presidential debate to commence in Nigeria in 2007 and it should be an annual event. (NAN)
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