SEATIN rallies teachers to improve students debating skills

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | The Southern and Eastern African Trade Institute –SEATIN has asked teachers to help improve the debating skills of students. 

Ambassador Nathan Irumba, also SEATIN executive director said that the fights and insults between different political camps is as a result of to lack of teachers nurturing students’ debating skills in schools.

Irumba made the remarks on Thursday while speaking to journalists at the official closure of 2019 inter-university debate competitions on taxi justice in Uganda. 

Uganda Christian University-UCU was on Wednesday declared winner of this year’s competitions organised under the theme Harnessing the Potential of the Youth in Advancing the Tax Justice Agenda.

Irumba added that promoting debates in schools does not promote the maturity in debates but also makes learners familiarize with issues happening in the country.

“The most important thing about these debates is bringing awareness to students more so realities about taxation. More important is to make follow up, understanding on how money is used. That is accountability. It makes students know that you can have difference on issues but you can be able to solve them intellectually,” Irumba added.

This year’s inter-university debate was based on five topics among others taxi incentives, double taxation agreements, taxation of informal sector, youth participation in tax policy formulation, tax and human rights.

Universities that took part in this year’s SEATIN debate competitions include Makerere, UCU, Islamic University of Uganda- IUIU, International University of East Africa- IUEA, Cavendish, Uganda Martyrs University-Nkozi, Kyambogo University, Mbarara, Ndejje and Gulu University.

Each university presented a team of three debaters whereby UCU was crowned winner after gathering more than 80 points in a two-day nerve wrecking debate.  

Shubrah Kasozi, from UCU debater, said the debate enabled her learn a lot about tax policies in the country.  

Makerere University came third while Kyambogo emerged first runner up. 

The objectives of SEATIN inter-university debates include providing a platform for students to discuss and debate about tax justice and building a sense of appreciation among the youth on the linkage between tax and development.   

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URN