High school pupils will take part in a public speaking competition on Monday, March 14.

The event is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Douglas.

The Rotary Club of Douglas’s Youth Opportunities Committee working with the Department of Education and Children organised the annual competition after a break due to Covid.

The schools hold an internal heat first to decide who will represent the school in the island wide event.

Andrew Swithinbank, of the Rotary , chairing the events said: ‘The Rotary is committed to encouraging and celebrating the abilities of children and helping them to prepare for the future.

‘As children in the junior schools move on to secondary schools and as teenagers prepare to make choices in their subjects, onward education and future careers then presentation and communication become increasingly important life skills.

‘Therefore we are delighted to be able to provide the opportunity to help young people develop their analysis of a subject, creativity in presenting it and the confidence to speak well in public.’

The winning school will receive a cheque from the Rotary for £500 and the first, second and third prize team members will receive book tokens ...and the admiration of their parents, teachers and friends.

The winning junior school from the previous event Arbory School hosted the junior event on Monday, March 7.

Ramsey Grammar School, defending their winning run, will be hosting the senior event on Monday, March 14. at 7 pm.

The judges will be Rotary President Clare Faulds, Anne Clarke who has considerable experience of judging at the Manx Music, Speech and Drama Festival (the Guild), and teachers from the winning schools in the previous competitions.