MACKENZIE High School, on Friday, emerged as the winners of the 2026 J.O.F. Haynes Memorial Inter-Secondary Schools Debating Competition, a prestigious event that promotes intellectual growth, public speaking and analytical thinking among secondary school students.
Named in honour of J.O.F. Haynes, a distinguished Guyanese legal luminary and advocate for education, the competition was established in 1988 and continues to serve as a platform for developing future leaders and policy influencers.
In the final round, Mackenzie High School, debating as the opposition, faced off against the proposition team from Three Miles Secondary School.
The moot debated was: “The implementation of universal basic income from oil revenue is the most effective way of eliminating poverty in Guyana.”
At the conclusion of the debate, Mackenzie High School secured victory with a total of 318 points, while Three Miles Secondary School earned 247 points.
Representing Mackenzie High School were Nephlyah Farrel, Tahir Gomes and Rhea Persaud, while Three Miles Secondary School was represented by Richard Mohabeer, Mia Shanks and Bhavani Sieucharran.
Farrel was adjudged Best Debater of the competition.
The final was described as a celebration of intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, effective communication and respectful dialogue. The competition provided students with an opportunity to examine important national issues, strengthen their research skills, evaluate opposing viewpoints and express themselves with confidence and clarity.
Chief Judge of the 2026 competition, Colette Horatio, in announcing the winner and delivering closing remarks, commended participants for their performance throughout the contest.
She noted that debaters demonstrated strong use of rhetoric, research and supporting evidence.
“We were greeted with lots of research and citation. Those were very good. They were generally relevant to the topic and helped to support the arguments presented,” Horatio said.
She also praised the quality of language displayed by participants.
“Good language was on display this morning in most instances. We did not have too many slips. Engagement with the audience in some instances could have been better, but generally good. The ideas brought forward were well linked to the thesis statement,” she added.
Horatio encouraged students who intend to participate in future debates to avoid excessive reading from prepared notes, engage more directly with audiences and pay closer attention to time management.
Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Education Officer for Secondary Education, Sherwyn Blackman, urged students interested in debating to prepare thoroughly and make use of the support available from their teachers.
He encouraged aspiring debaters to develop and refine their speeches and to continue practising in order to improve their skills and confidence.
