KLANG – The field of debate can be the best platform for educating and promoting a more rational-minded group of students, thus giving birth to intelligent generations who will evaluate the accuracy of information transmitted on social media.
Selangor Menteri Besar, Amirudin Shari said this wise thinking would give students a chance to make a fair and just assessment on all matters.
“One of the concerns of society today is the culture of spreading fake news. If the younger generation faithfully embraces all the issues transmitted on social media without comparing whether or not they are true, we will give birth to a failed or immature generation,” said Amirudin.
“But this can be fixed if students are more rational and calm. Such rationality and calmness must be born of culture or the ability to distinguish between what is right and what is not, just as in the field of debate,” he said.
Amirudin said this when speaking at the launch of the National Debate and Speech Competition organized by Yayasan Selangor at the Hotel Gocos, here, on 16 September.
Also present were Yayasan Selangor Chief Executive Officer, Eddie Khodzali and Competition Chairman Zahura Zakry.
A total of 40 debate teams, 46 Malay speakers and 35 English speakers participated in the competition, this time.
Commenting on the programme, Amirudin said the state government supported organizing the event which was seen as a catalyst for quality debate to prepare school teams in the field of public speaking in order to raise the name of the school and to achieve success nationally and globally.
“Yayasan Selangor, as an agency carrying out the education mission of Selangor ,should ensure that education meets the national aspirations by producing a balanced human being who is intellectual, emotionally and physically balanced as well as cultivating High Level Thinking Skills,” he said.
“It is important to address the changing educational landscape and challenges of the 21st century. The concept of teaching and learning that is conducive, open, interactive, engaging and student-centered is now the latest trend, ” Amirudin noted.
