Kigali, Rwanda: Parental Care Nursery and Primary School has been crowned the 2025 Pan African Junior Schools Debate Champions after defeating South Africa’s Munroe Primary School in a fiercely contested final held in Kigali, Rwanda.
The continental contest, featuring debate, public speaking and storytelling categories, attracted 98 schools from across Africa, with organisers describing this year’s edition as the most competitive since the championship began.
With this victory, Parental Care Bushenyi will now represent Africa at the World Schools Debate Championship scheduled for late next year in Canada.
The Western Uganda-based school has, over the years, built a strong reputation for nurturing young debaters through research, critical thinking, persuasive communication and confidence-building. These skills have enabled its teams to dominate district, regional and national debate circuits.
Teachers attributed this year’s triumph to intensive preparation, teamwork, discipline and the school’s commitment to developing talent beyond academics.
Headteacher Desmond Tayebwa said the continental victory reflects Parental Care’s long-term investment in using debate to support learners’ holistic development across three major domains: Cognitive domain which strengthens reasoning, research capacity, problem-solving and logical thinking, Affective domain that builds confidence, emotional maturity, empathy and respect for diverse opinions and Psychomotor domain, that enhances voice projection, body coordination and stage presence for public-speaking environments.
Tayebwa noted that integrating these competencies into both classroom and co-curricular programmes has produced learners who are “confident, analytical and ready to compete on any stage.”
Celebrations in Bushenyi
Parental Care’s victory sparked excitement across Bushenyi District and the Greater Bushenyi Region, with parents, teachers and local leaders celebrating the school for flying Uganda’s flag high at a continental level.
Parents, old students and well-wishers flooded social media with congratulatory messages, describing Parental Care’s achievement as a landmark moment for the district and Uganda’s education landscape.
School administrators confirmed that preparations for the World Championship will begin immediately, with intensified training and research sessions planned for early next year.
Shallon Mugisha, a parent, applauded the school for raising the district’s flag and bringing honour to the country, praising the pupils for their discipline, focus and teamwork. “Seeing our children debate confidently against peers from across Africa makes every parent proud,” Mugisha said. “They are representing Parental Care, Bushenyi and Uganda.”
Ainembazi Angel Tracy, a Parental Care pupil who was also the overall top speller at the championship, said the competitions sharpened their minds and improved their confidence. “These contests challenged us to think deeper, research more and express ourselves better,” Ainembazi said. “The skills we gained will help us in class and in future competitions.”
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