It was an epoch event on Thursday, 27th January 2022, when the Osun Oline Media Practitioners Association (OOMPA), staged a debate for the students of Answar-u-deen Grammar School, Ilobu, in the Irepodun Local Government Area of Osun State.
A programme of this nature was the second of its kind to be organized by Osun Online Media Practitioners Association(OOMPA) to encourage students in secondary schools in the State.
The topic of the debate was ‘’Digital Media, a Blessing or a Curse to Educational Development in Nigeria’’. Students were drawn from the Senior classes and those that took up the gauntlet were: Olaitan Fathia, Dairo Muhammed, and Abdul-Salam Sofiyat(spoke for the motion) while Okunola Lateef, Onifade Kehinde, and Ogunmola IfeOluwa respectively opposed the motion.
It was a keenly contested debate where the students displayed their mastery of the English Language and their pragmatic prowess of the subject matter of the debate.
One of the students(Fathia), supporting the motion says,’’ Ever before the advent of technology, most especially in the areas of education, there had been a good system of passing information to the students. But with the emergence of digital media, dissemination of information across to the students become more effective and efficiently irrespective of the distance’’.
She went further,’’ Digital media can be created, heard, digested, evaluated, transmitted, distributed and preserved on electronic digital device’’.
On the part of the opposing team, mention was made among other points, on the negative use of digital media by students.’’ students fondle with phones while lessons are going on in the class thereby become distracted, fraudulent practices with phones and other digital device and the like. In the end, all points raised by contesting students were evaluated and a winner emerged.
The results were announced by the Chief Judge and the winners were rewarded with valuable and relevant textbooks that will positively help in their studies now and in the future.
The keenly contested debate was an eye-opener to the school as to what their students could do in an enabling environment, and to the students in particular.
In line with OOMPA Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) to impact knowledge and skills to Osun Students and the community, the use of Digital media was introduced to the students on how to make judicious use of their phones and other electronic digital gadgets to better their lot in their education career. This was done by the chairman of the Association, Jare Tiamiyu, who coincidentally was an Alma-Mater of the school.
In his address at the event, Mr. Jare Tiamiyu said’’ the Association is interested in the academic performance of Osun Students and pledged to continue to organize such event as part of the Association’s Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR).
‘’There is no way, even if you bagged a degree, Ph.D., or still a student, you will still have a need to consult your dictionary; that is why we gave them this dictionary, the current edition and other germane English Language textbooks and teaching Aids that will enhance their learning and help them to prepare well for their forthcoming examinations’’ he said.
The Vice-Principal of the school, Mrs. Olaniyan Adebisi, eulogized the association for their good gesture.
‘’On behalf of the school Management, the Principal, staff, and the students, we say a big thank you to the Osun Online Media Practitioners Association. We thank you for your care, educational tips, and other good things that you have given to our students today’’.
‘’We thank you for improving them educationally. We appreciate you for the gifts given to them and we say a big thank you. We pray that the group will continue to move higher, in Jesus’ name’’, Mrs. Olaniyan said.
One of the participants at the debate, Miss Olaitan Fathia, who also won some prizes was full of joy and gave kudos to the Osun Online Media Practitioners Association for their magnanimity.
‘’We really appreciate the gifts given to us by OOMPA and I hope that this will encourage other students to be more focused in their studies’’.
When asked about how he felt at the event, another student, Dairo Muhammed said,’’ I love the programme. I am using this time to appreciate Osun Online Media Practitioners Association. Thanks for the gifts that were given to us. This will encourage us to put more effort into our academic pursuits’’ he said.
Answar -u-deen Grammar school is filled with intelligent, greater tomorrow and willing-to learn students that deserve to be encouraged. It is hoped that well-meaning Osun Indigenes, philanthropists, and the PTA help to renovate some of the structures that need a re-touch or renovation, especially the school hall. Nothing is too small or big to complement government efforts and presence in the school.
Earlier on, Abioye Tosin Lawrence gave a brief synopsis of the use of digital media. The introduction and objectives of OOMPA were handled by Tajudeen Hammed, while Bright Gbotemi anchored the programme.
Other OOMPA members in attendance were: Ismail Kolapo, Yusuf Idowu, Adesoji Omosebi, Akintunde Idowu, and Aderemi Fisayo to mention a few.