Parental Care Nursery and Primary School Bushenyi has been crowned champion of the 2025 Pan African Junior Schools Debate Championship after defeating Munroe Primary School of South Africa in a tense final held in Kigali, Rwanda.
The continental competition, which featured debate, public speaking and storytelling, attracted 98 schools from across Africa. Organisers described this year’s edition as the most competitive since the championship was launched.
With this historic victory, Parental Care Nursery and Primary School will now represent Africa at the World Schools Debate Championship due to take place in Canada late next year.
A Culture of Debate Excellence
Over the years, Parental Care Bushenyi has built a strong reputation for its vibrant debate and public-speaking culture. Learners are exposed from lower primary to research, critical thinking, persuasive communication and confidence-building — skills that have enabled the school to dominate district, regional and national debate circuits.
Teachers attributed this year’s continental success to intensive preparation, teamwork, discipline and the school’s unwavering commitment to nurturing talent beyond academics.
Headteacher Desmond Tayebwa said the victory is the result of long-term investment in using debate as a tool for holistic child development.
He explained that debate supports growth in three key domains of child development:
- Cognitive domain: strengthens reasoning, research capacity, problem-solving and logical thinking.
- Affective domain: builds confidence, emotional maturity, empathy and respect for diverse opinions.
- Psychomotor domain: enhances voice projection, body coordination, stage presence and other performance skills required in public-speaking settings.
Tayebwa noted that integrating these competencies into both classroom teaching and co-curricular activities has produced learners who are “confident, analytical and ready to compete on any stage.”
Celebrations in Bushenyi
News of the win sparked jubilation across Bushenyi District and the Greater Bushenyi region, as parents, teachers and local leaders celebrated the school for flying Uganda’s flag high.
Parents, old students and well-wishers flooded social media with congratulatory messages, praising the team for putting both the district and the country on the continental map.
School administrators said preparations for the World Championship will start immediately, with more intensive training and research sessions scheduled for early next year.
Parents and Learners React
Shallon Mugisha, a parent at Parental Care, applauded the school for raising the district flag and bringing honour to Uganda, saying the pupils had demonstrated exceptional discipline, focus and teamwork.
“Seeing our children debate confidently against peers from across Africa makes every parent proud,” Mugisha said. “They are not only representing Parental Care, but also Bushenyi District and Uganda on the continental stage.”
Ainembazi Angel Tracy, a pupil at Parental Care and the overall speller at the championship, said the competitions had greatly shaped their thinking and boosted their self-belief.
“These contests challenged us to think deeper, research more and express ourselves better,” Ainembazi said. “I believe the skills we gained here will improve our performance in class and in future competitions.”
With the Canadian World Championship on the horizon, Parental Care Bushenyi now carries the hopes of Uganda and Africa as it prepares to take its winning voice to the global stage.
