Nearly a hundred schools have registered for the 2026 Rostrum Primary Schools Speaking Competition and the competition is well underway! 

Rostrum has been running this competition for schools in the ACT and surrounding areas of New South Wales for over 50 years. Each school is invited to enter one competitor into the competition after running a selection process in their own school. Schools select a Winner and Reserve. (The Reserve is needed in case the Winner is unable to attend the Quarter Final).

The Quarter and Semi Finals are held in the evening at a host school. Topics for the Quarter and Semi Finals are provided by Rostrum and can be downloaded below. Each student speaks for 3 minutes with a warning bell at 2 minutes. Rostrum adjudicators will assess each speech and determine the Winner and Runner Up, both of whom will proceed to the next round.

The Grand Final will be held on Monday 14 September at the Canberra College Performing Arts Theatre, Launceston Street, Phillip. Topics for the Grand Final will be different to the earlier rounds and will be advised once the finalists are known. Each speaker in the Grand Final will speak for 4 minutes. The Warren Hine trophy is awarded to the winning speaker as determined by the Rostrum adjudicators, the Randall Falkiner trophy is awarded for best research in a speech and a People’s Choice trophy is also awarded, based on a vote of the audience.    

All competitors at the Quarter Final, Semi-Final, and Grand Final receive certificates. The Grand Final winner and runner up receive medallions and trophies, and the winning school will receive the Perpetual Shield to hold for the next year.

For further details please contact the competition coordinator by email at actpssc@rostrum.com.au .