With a total of 638 marks, St.Rose’s Secondary beat Mae’s Secondary 557 at the launching of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Regent Street Branch 3rd Annual Inter-Secondary School Impromptu Speech Competition, hosted at GBTI’s Recreational Centre last Thursday.

The Mae’s Team. From left, Tiffany De Santos, Anuradha Deodasingh and Leah Alphonso.

Addressing participants, teachers and others at the function, Mr. Radhakrishna Sharma, C.E.O of GBTI, said that it was the company’s objective to create opportunities to improve the all-round capabilities of students and recognize that through speech making, they can open their minds to being creative and innovative.

Branch Manager Ms. Bibi Wharton said that when the concept of the Impromptu Speech Competition was formatted, it was with the intention to enhance and nurture the ability of young minds, to convert the reservoir of knowledge they possessed into spoken form and in a manner that is organized, coherent and easily understood.

The St.Rose’s Team. From left, Saeed Hamid, Rehanna Wilson and Aaron Homer.

Continuing, she said that the delivery of impromptu speech can occur at formal forums or social functions, and competitions of this nature allow participants to harness their thought process in ‘real time’ and help participants to develop their skills in communication, leadership and teaching.

Topics included “My Ideal Role Model”, presented by Tiffany De Santos; “Countries should be allowed to explore their nuclear power capabilities”, presented by Anuradha Deodasingh; and “The government should increase moral education in public schools” presented by Leah Alphonso, all students of Mae’s Secondary.

A section of the audience

Topics presented by the winning school were “Opportunities for underprivileged children” presented by Aaron Homer; “How teenagers show a sense of responsibility”, presented by Rehanna Wilson; and “The piercing of body parts other than earlobes should be prohibited for anyone under eighteen”, presented by Saeed Hamid, who was the best speaker of the competition.

Participating secondary schools in this year’s competition are: Annandale, Central High, Christ Church, Covent Garden, Cummingslodge, Institute of Business Education, Mae’s Secondary, Marian Academy, President’s College, Queen’s College, Richard Ishmael, and School of the Nations, St.John’s College, St.Joseph St. Rose’s and St. Stanislaus.

The competition will be judged by Dr. Joyce Jonas, Ms. Bonita Hunter, Ms. Abiola Inniss, Ms. Joan Kendall, Mrs. Lurine Meertins, Mrs. Bernadette Persaud, Ms. Magda Pollard, Mrs. Barbara Sukhai, Ms. Maureen Williams and Mr. Sheik Sadiq.