IISR Principal S.M. Shaukat Perwaiz and Vice Principal (Girls Section) Asma Shah with the winners.

The International Indian School, Riyadh (IISR) recently conducted a debate competition for girl students which gave them the opportunity to showcase their talent as well as promote the Urdu language as part of the curriculum.

The debate contest was categorized into three levels: Senior secondary, secondary and junior groups.

Huba Hasmi bagged the first prize for the senior secondary level, Aisha Fatima won the second prize and Ismaa Sheikh got the third prize, whereas for the secondary level, the first prize went to Rahma Habeeb, the second prize was won by Tuba Hafeez and the third prize was shared between Zaina Hameed and Raheema Riyaz.

In the Junior category for the sixth and seventh grades, the first prize was won by Aisha Perwaiz, the second prize went to Manal Hasan and the third prize was taken by Rahma Shah.

Speaking at the grand finale held recently, IISR Principal S.M. Shaukat Perwaiz said that the debate competitions were an excellent opportunity to fulfill the commitment for the development of Urdu by the staff and students of the school. Moreover, such competitions help to enhance the skills of repartee and presence of mind playing a key role in the development of their all-round personalities, he added.

“Urdu is part of our rich literary heritage and composite culture and it is therefore our duty to use it as a lingua franca and not occasionally or casually as is generally the case,” Shaukat observed, noting that the debate in Urdu will further promote the rich native language which now has international reach.

The vice principal of the girls’ section Asma Shah in her welcome address earlier said that the school administration was doing all it could to promote the Urdu language. She also described the language as “a symbol of our composite culture” and urged the students, teachers and parents to play their role in the individual and collective capacity for the development of Urdu.

She further emphasized the significance of the power of the Urdu language as a means of communication and termed the IISR Urdu debate competitions as the hallmark of a sound education system for the students.

Faizah Mustafa concluded the event with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an while Kulsum Sayyid read the translation and interpretation and Hina Kausar explained the rules to the participants.

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