St. Joseph wins NIS debating competition
Champions of the competition, Carmalita Byrne, Chelsea Forde and Adaiah Lawrence (Delano Williams photo)
Champions of the competition, Carmalita Byrne, Chelsea Forde and Adaiah Lawrence (Delano Williams photo)

By Naomi Marshall

ST. JOSEPH High School on Tuesday defeated Queen’s College to emerge as champion of the National Insurance Scheme’s (NIS) first-ever secondary school debating competition.
The victorious team was represented by Carmalita Byrne, Chelsea Forde and Adaiah Lawrence. They opposed the moot “Improved information technology will enhance the services offered to contributors and pensioners by the National Insurance Scheme”.

Student of St. Joseph High School and Best Speaker, Chelsea Forde

Christine Richardson, Ayjha Griffith and Lorelei Kanhai represented Queen’s College.
Opening the debate was leader of the proposition, Christine Richardson, who was confident and pitched her voice across the room. In expounding her stance on the moot, she stated that her team understands the moot to mean, “that with enhanced quality of information technology, services to the pensioners and contributors will be of a higher standard and they will be provided with more choices.”

Richardson, in highlighting the situation of senior citizens, said they often have to wait in long lines and would “complain boldly”. Richardson said the situation is due to the manual process in which pension is distributed.

She noted that the elderly deserves better, adding, “the staff are only human, they will make mistakes and there is only so much they can do at a time.”

Taking the stage right after was leader of the opposition, Carmalita Byrne, who included tone variation throughout her argument. She argued that there are many disadvantages and limitations when information technology is used.

“A major limitation that is relatable to our Guyanese population is electricity which is needed to power technology which is used every day… without electricity; no one would be able to power the technological devices that we use every day. If these devices have no power, then no one will have access to any service, much less, an enhanced one by the NIS,” Byrne said.

She added that there are many security risks that businesses and organisations face with improved technology.

Her teammate, Chelsea Forde presented in a timely fashion, confidently and was quite engaging with the attendees and judges. Forde, who copped the best speaker prize, barely looked at her flash cards during the debate.

Judging the debate were Celeste James Williams, Head of the English Department at New Campbellville Secondary School; Brendhill Barton, Head Office Manager of NIS’ Brickdam office; and Desa Liverpool, Head of the English Department at the Carmel Secondary School.

A section of the gathering at the National Insurance Scheme’s first-ever secondary school debating competition (Delano Williams photo)

The secondary school competition, hosted in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, was part of the events held in celebration of NIS’s 50th anniversary. It was held under the theme “We guarantee social protection: 50 years of consistent and dedicated service to Guyana.”

Other participating schools in the competition were Bishop’s High, Brickdam Secondary, North Georgetown Secondary, Christ Church Secondary, St. Roses High and St. Stanislaus College.

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