Greensprings students clinch first prize in KPMG debate

The duo of Emmanuela Ilok and Khalid Seriki of Greensprings School are winners of this year’s KPMG debate. The declaration came after the students scaled through the essay stage and participated in intense debate sessions on the topic titled, “Which is better, onsite or online learning?”

The two students, while narrating their experiences during the final stage of the competition, said though the debate structure was unfamiliar, they emerged victorious due to the exposure their school gave them.

They said, “The debate was in two rounds and the first round was easier, as we just selected whether we are in favour or against the motion. The unusual aspect was introduced in the second round when we were asked to speak both in favour and against the motion of the debate. Also in the process, we had to cross-examine participants from other schools, and we were also cross-examined.

“With the unexpected dynamics introduced during the second round of the debate, we could say that our victory can be credited to being persistent and striving for accuracy, which are parts of the ‘habits of mind,’ which is a concept in our school’s Thinking School philosophy. We are also grateful to our English teachers, who helped in developing our debating and public speaking skills,” the elated students stated.

Expressing her happiness about the victory, Mrs Magdalene Okrikri, the secondary school principal at Greensprings School Anthony campus, said she was impressed by the students’ performance at each stage of the competition.

She said, “I congratulate my students for working as a team and performing excellently at each stage of the competition. I am highly impressed with their strong communication skill, confidence and ability to persist through the debate sessions. It was a tough competition and I am proud of their excellent performance.”

The KPMG debate is a yearly secondary school debate organised by KPMG Nigeria. The first prize winners went home with a cash prize of ₦400,000 and other prizes.