As the number one adult phobia, but also as one of the most significant life skills, King’s places a rightful emphasis on public speaking. At King’s, we have an annual, Year 9 and Year 10 Speech Competition, both of which are hotly contested and enjoyed with a presentation in the Performing Arts Centre.
As a highlight on the junior calendar, King’s also hosts the Otago-wide Secondary Schools’ Speech Competition, which sees contestants from High Schools across Otago come together to present their best.
In 2022, a number of He Waka Kōtuia members and other King’s students performed in Ngā Manu Kōrero Regional and National Speech competitions. Te Atarua Cassidy came second in the Senior Māori Prepared Speech, first in the Senior Māori Impromptu Speech and was named the overall winner of the Senior Māori category.
Debating is an excellent social activity for boys interested in developing their confidence as public speakers and thinking about and debating controversial issues. King’s has a strong track record of performance in the Dunedin Schools’ Debating Competition. In 2022 our debating team had the distinct pleasure of winning the regional debating champs, winning Dunedin Schools’ Debating and winning all three interschool competitions. We also
had students selected for the Otago Regional Schools Debating Team and coached by members of the Otago University Debating Society.
Our inter-house competition at King’s also includes a hotly contested debating event. This is often the highlight of the inter-house calendar for the boys involved. The interschool exchanges King’s has with other Boys’ Schools also often include debating.
For more information contact:
Dr Damien Gibson
Teacher in Charge
gi@kingshigh.school.nz