Jubilee tops school comp

 PORT Moresby’s Jubilee Secondary came on top as the outstanding school in the Steamships-sponsored World Environment Day debate and essay competition. 

The school took out the best government debate team while its students won both the second and third prizes for the essay competition in the Grades 9-10 and Grades 11-12 categories while Marianville Secondary took out the best opposition debate team and the first prize for the Grade 11 and 12 essays.

Both schools received trophies with each speaker receiving a mobile phone, resource books and gift bags from Laga Industries.

Steamships Corporate Affairs general manager David Toua said the purpose of organising the three contests was to have the children research and understand the importance of the World Environment Day theme and to also understand it in our own PNG context.

“It will also encourage them to understand and take care of our environment and making the right choices when it comes to the environment because they are the future leaders of this country.”

Steamships Trading Company this year organised and with the support of their business units sponsored the prizes for the essay, best environmentally friendly school and debate contests which they launched early in May. 

This was done in partnership with the Department of Environment and Conservation and Eco Forestry Forum. 

The best environmentally-friendly secondary school winner was Badihagwa Secondary who took the shield off Marianville Secondary who had been the winners of the competition for the past two years. 

Ward Strip Primary was the winner for the primary school level. Each school was given a shield with garden tools as their prizes. Similar prizes were given to the runners-up. 

The first prize winners of the essay competition received a laptop each with the runners-up receiving Theodist shopping vouchers.

“I’d like to thank all the 17 schools and their teachers that participated in this year’s competition. Without your involvement this contests would not have been a success,” Toua said.

The presentation of the prizes was given out during the World Environment Day celebrations organised by the Department of Environment and Conservation at the Sir John Guise Stadium indoor complex last Friday.