Paarl Girls High claims victory in climate change debate

Cape Town - Paarl Girls High School claimed victory while Makupula and Kayamandi High Schools clinched second and third place respectively in the Working on Fire’s climate change debate.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment’s Working on Fire Programme in the Western Cape held its annual environmental educational debates in Stellenbosch on August 22.

Paarl Girls High School claimed victory while Makupula and Kayamandi High Schools clinched second and third place respectively.

This year’s theme was based on climate change, and the participating schools drove their arguments home, highlighting the effects and causes of climate change and how they can be mitigated.

Working on Fire’s Community, Fire Awareness Officer, Rayganah Rhoda, said the purpose of the debates was to create an opportunity for Grade 8 and 9 learners to debate environmental issues that harm their social livelihood and natural environment.

“It also covers the Mission and Vision of the core focus areas of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

“One of the aims of the debating programme is to strengthen and support educational processes in South Africa, in its endeavours to realise the sustainable development aspects in the country’s constitution,” Rhoda said.

Among the judicators was the Department of Education’s School Enrichment official, Kurt Lenders, who described the debates as an active and engaging learning-centred activity for the schools involved.

“I would encourage more schools to participate in the future because the topics the learners had to prepare and talk about are hot topics like climate change. It is good they are becoming part of the discussion about burning issues at this level,” he said.

Cape Times