Students debate on how pampered they are
While the younger students recited rhyming poems, the elder ones fervently argued on ‘whether or not modern students are pampered’, ‘what is the role of media in democracy’, ‘if fanaticism of any form is a serious threat to the stability of a country’, ‘aankh jo kuch dekhti hai lab par asakta nahi’ [whatever the eye can see cannot be described], and ‘ulta chor kotwaal ko dantaay’ [the robber berates the cop].
As the competition extended beyond the boundaries of one school, anxious glances were exchanged before the results were announced. Every school wanted to take a trophy home.
River Oaks’ student of class four, Eman Farooq, thoroughly enjoyed the competition. “We get educated about stuff here,” she said. “I got to know that everyone has money but not everyone is a millionaire and that we should lead simple lives.”
The contest at the senior campus had brought together 60 aspiring debaters and speakers from 15 schools of Karachi. The participants were judged by journalist Mohsin S Jaffery, CEO Cupola group of companies Rafiq Rangoonwala and philosophy lecturer Shajia Sarfaraz Haroon. The judges were marking the students on their content, diction, delivery, argument and general impression.
Zoha Hussain, from The Indus Academy, was extremely nervous about her declamation contest because the idea of speaking in front of so many people “without any help” worried her. Even though she found the content easy to prepare, she felt that stage fright may get the better of her.
Zoha’s English teacher, Erum Qureshi, believed that such experiences are good for her students. “In a school students are living in their own shell. It is at such competitions that they get the chance to have a good time and hone their skills.”
On the other hand, Shayan Haider, an A’ Level first-year student from The City School PAF Chapter, scoffed that he did not “see much competition here”. He appreciated the skills that his school’s debating society had taught him and believed that he would win. “I win regularly,” he did not hesitate to add. But when the results were announced, he did not take the defeat too hard.
Shayan’s mother, Fauzia Nasir, said that she already has five of his trophies at home and expects more from her “intelligent son” in the future.
Mama Parsi Girls School makes its students practice hard and penalises them for errors, said Sunita K Zadah, an English teacher. She had high expectations from her students and believed that competitions, such as talent shows and debates have increased a sense of responsibility in the young men and women. As proof to Zadah’s strong beliefs, girls from the school bagged the most trophies in the contest.
River Oaks Academy principal Aasim Karim said that the competition is getting a better response each year. The school started with four students in 1996 and with the slogan ‘students come home smiling’, the school has come a long way giving activity-based education. “With events as these, our motto is to bring out the best in every child.”
And the winners are...
Elocution class 4-5
Ayesha Shoaib Shamsi, Froebel Education Centre 1st
Neusha Mondegarian, Mama Parsi Girls School 2nd
Talha Maniya, The City School Darakhshan Campus 3rd
Elocution class 6-7
Noorul Ain Sohail, The Indus Academy 1st
Maryam Dawood, Mama Parsi Girls School 2nd
Edward Anthony Joseph, St Paul’s English High School 3rd
Elocution class 6-7 (Urdu)
Syeda Maham Shah, Mama Parsi Girls School 1st
Rehma Qureshi, Bay View High 2nd
Neha Sarfaraz, The City School Darakhshan Campus 3rd
Declamation class 8-9
Alizeh Sethi, Foundation Public School 1st
Kaleem Sohail Ahmed, Karachi Grammar School 2nd
Ibrahim Shah, St Michael’s Convent School 3rd
Declamation class 10-11
Maheen Zakaraia, Mama Parsi Girls School 1st
Nabeel Ahmed Memon, St Michael’s Convent School 2nd
Sara Masood Raza, Froebel Education Centre 3rd
Declamation class A’ Levels (English)
Hina Naz Nagi, Beaconhouse School System A’ Levels 1st
Maryam Altaf, Jinnah University College 2nd
Published in The Express Tribune, January 23rd, 2011.
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