KINGSTON College and Munro College will move on to the Burger King National Schools’ Debate competition finals, after they were awarded victory over McGrath High and Glenmuir High respectively.

The semi-finals, which took place last Tuesday at the Limelight Entertainment Complex in Half-Way-Tree, saw Kingston College going up against McGrath High debating the motion, ‘This house prefers investment to environmental protection’.

According to the judges, Kingston College “had met the burden of proof, had a nuanced approach, was very strategic, and could identify quantifiable benefits from their arguments”.

They felt that Kingston College had a good strategy, displayed coherent team work and had a practical approach to the business of development.

However, best speaker was adjudged deputy opposition leader Shanara Bennett of McGrath. Holding the post of prime minister, first speaker of Kingston College Javair Thomas opened the floor with a quote from American author and journalist Napoleon Hill, “Great achievements are usually born of great sacrifice”.

He proposed that the government move towards sustainable development, which involves precautionary measures being taken to protect the environment, while making strategic investments that will benefit Jamaica’s economy. His arguments were later challenged by opposition leader Timone Walker, who bashed him for failing to carry out his mandate and instead supporting their viewpoint. The opposition argued that as much as they believe economic investments are important, it is within their duty to protect the environment.

She noted that it is simply unwise to prioritise investments over environmental protection, and unless this government changes its narrow-minded approach towards development, this country will never be able to elevate itself from the developmental quagmire it is in.

Kingston College’s second speaker Chevaugn Channer fought a hard battle in his response, highlighting the economic benefits that Jamaica could gain from investing. He said that the country is in dire need for investment with the increasing unemployment rate, a sliding dollar and balance of payment problems. He further stated that Jamaica will be mirroring Haiti’s economic state if sustainable investment does not take priority over the environment. Channer’s arguments were further upheld by his teammate Kevonne Martin, who spoke of benefits such as alleviating the country’s crime rate and reducing poverty that could be achieved by investments. “My opponents, it takes cash to care,” he said, before quoting popular dancehall artiste Bounty Killer’s song ‘Anytime mi hungry again dem ago see mi nine’.

McGrath High’s all-girl team, however, stood firm in opposing the motion. Deputy opposition leader Shanara Bennett urged the government to stop leaving our country at the mercy of foreign investors, who often get tax breaks and countless other incentives but often send all their investments back to their home countries. They argued that the government could have placed a dent in the unemployment rate if they paid as much attention to environment protection as they do investment.

In the end, the North Street boys’ school walked away with a victory of 257 points over McGrath High’s 230 points. McGrath High, however, was commended for being very quick on their feet, having excellent point of information, being very sharp with the use of examples and had better working definition of the term ‘sustainble development’.

In semi-final two, Munro College went up against Glenmuir High debating the motion ‘This house would forfeit individual privacy to achieve national security’.

Munro’s team, who held the post of government, was made up of Omar Hall, Ottieno Channer and James Kirkland. The opposition Glenmuir High, another all-boy team, consisted of Xaundre Mohansingh, Dane Roberts and Odane Dawkins. Strong arguments were eloquently put forth by both government and opposition speakers, but the judges gave the victory to the St Elizabeth-based school with 254 to 233 points.

The prime minister, Ottieno Channer of Munro College, was also named best speaker.

During the heated debate, Munro argued that although citizens have a right to privacy, there are times when the rights of the individual must be forfeited in the name of upholding the law. They proposed that once there is reasonable suspicion, government has the right to suspend the right-of-privacy of an individual suspected to be involved in crime.

Deputy prime minister Ottieno Channer implored the opposition to look at the bigger picture. He emphasised that the goal is to provide a safer environment for all people. His arguments were further upheld by his team, who expressed that by suspending the rights of suspected individuals, the government will be capable of curbing criminal activities while fostering the growth of Jamaica’s economy.

However, their arguments were strongly rebuked by opposition leader Odane Dawkins who insisted that not only is suspending individual right-to-privacy impractical, but also illegal and an abuse of power. He stated that the right to privacy is a fundamental right of humans, and the government cannot arbitrarily change that fundamental right.

The opposition emphasised that there is a better way of handling the situation.

Dane Roberts, opposition member, suggested alternative methods such as employing an adequate number of persons within the police force and the judiciary, and see to greater use of science and technology to help curb crime.

In concluding, chief judge Ricardo Brooks said the debate came down to the definition of the words ‘forfeit’ and ‘would’. He stated that the winning team clearly defined a problem and clearly outlined in a very fearless way, the solution to the problem. The judges also took into account the roles that each team played and how well they executed that role. The finals, slated for April 15, will see Kingston College and Munro College debating the motion ‘This house believes hate speech is free speech’.