Secondary Schools across St. Vincent and the Grenadines are finalising presentations for participation in the 2022 preliminaries of the FLOW/Lions Club South Secondary Schools Public Speaking Competition.
The zonal preliminaries are scheduled for Tuesday to Friday at Frenches House.
The public speaking competition, which began in 1999, is part of the club’s youth outreach programme and aims to foster healthy public debate among the nation’s youth.
It also affords them an opportunity to improve and enhance their oratory skills in a keenly contested environment.
“This competition has over the years helped to boost the confidence, communication and leadership skills of students,” Chairman of the Public Speaking Committee, Junior Bacchus said.
Students in Zone 1 will meet on Tuesday to debate the topic, “The time to accelerate the use of renewable energy sources is expiring. Yet, as a people, we are non-responsive.”
On Wednesday, students in Zone 2 will debate the topic, “the independent role of civil society is fundamental to any functioning democracy. It is alarming the extent to which civil society institutions are dwindling in the region.”
The topic to be debated by students in Zone 3, on Thursday, is: “Russia’s imperial ambition, manifested in the Ukraine war, with all its ramifications, justifies the claim that the Kremlin is the source of all evil.”
The Zonal preliminaries will conclude on, when students in Zone 4 debate the topic, “Marine and air transportation are critical to the development of our region. The current state of play is a clear indication that we are behind the 8 ball as far as our development priorities are concerned.”
The Zonal preliminaries will begin at 1 p.m. daily and the top six public speakers will be selected to go on to represent their schools in the final of the competition on Oct. 25 at the Methodist Church Hall, Kingstown.
Zone 1: Girls High School, Bishop’s College, Kingstown, St. Joseph’s Convent, Kingstown,
Dr. JP Eustace Memorial Secondary, St. Clair Deacon Secondary, Union Island Secondary School
Zone 2: Campden Park Secondary School, St. Vincent Grammar School, Bequia Community High School, Bequia Seventh-day Adventist High School, West St. George Secondary, Intermediate High School
Zone 3: St. Joseph’s Convent, Marriaqua, Mountain View Adventist Academy, George Stephens Sr. Secondary School, Georgetown Secondary School, Sandy Bay Secondary School, Adelphi Secondary School, North Union Secondary
Zone 4: St. Martin’s Secondary School, Central Leeward Secondary School, Buccament Secondary School, Troumaca Ontario Secondary School, Thomas Saunders Secondary School, Petit Bordel Secondary School