The Gauteng Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation (GDSACR), in collaboration with library and information services, hosted the Provincial Human Rights Debate Competition on Thursday, March 5, at the Apartheid Museum.

The event brought together primary and secondary school learners to debate important issues during Human Rights Month.

Debate highlights education inequality

The debate question for the secondary school learners focused on whether the current education system provides equal and quality education for all learners.

Participants discussed key challenges such as the digital divide, poor infrastructure, and the impact of socioeconomic conditions on learning.

Learners showed strong critical thinking and public speaking skills as they engaged in meaningful discussions. The competition aimed to promote constitutional literacy and encourage young people to think deeply about human rights issues affecting education.

High school winning teams

Kibler Park Secondary School emerged as the top-performing school, taking first place in the high school category.

Mbongeni Mgududu Secondary School finished second, while Kgato Entle Secondary School finished third.

The learners from Kibler Park Secondary School stood out for their preparation and confident delivery. Their success reflects ongoing efforts to support learners’ debating and reading skills.

WOMan NPO supports young debaters

The WOMan NPO has been instrumental in supporting learners from Kibler Park Secondary School.

The organisation formed a book club at the school in 2024 to help learners become eligible for the Funda Mzansi Competition.

WOMan NPO helps structure the book club, while the school provides the learners and preparation facility. Their teacher, Mrs Tshepiso, also assisted them in preparing for the debate topic.

Chairperson Theophellous Chabalala said: “Though it is not easy to make it consistently because of the unavailability of the school learners at times, we only prepare them for competitions when the opportunity arises.”

He added: “We are very closely associated with the Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation. We engage communities and schools in the programmes that the department exposes to us, so the Libraries and Information Services approached the organisation to assist in participating book clubs from schools within our area. We were happy to assist.”

Chabalala explained that the programme aims to build purpose among young people. “To help the youth find purpose in life through reading and debating. It is to keep the culture of reading a book alive,” he said.

He further highlighted the importance of education, saying: “Because through education, doors can be opened, the future of our country can be in the hands of well-educated individuals, barriers can be broken, and more importantly, when there is equality in education, the learning fields and learners are more likely to be conscious and mindful when making decisions in life to better themselves.”

He also added the broader impact of such initiatives: “It exposes them to information that can impact their lives and also exposes the conditions of their schools to be better developed and noticed too by the department, so it can be better developed for even future learners.”

The learners who participated are active readers who enjoy debating, and they were well prepared in terms of structure. They prepared for the competition by researching online.

The event concluded with a message praising all participants for their dedication, critical thinking, and passion for justice, encouraging them to continue striving for a better future for all.