TWO talented speakers from Our Lady and St Patrick's High School have secured a place in the national semi-final of a public speaking competition run by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

S3 pupils Paul Losekoot and Aidan Lynn, who last featured in the Reporter two weeks ago as a result of their victory in the Argyll and Clyde area final, were back behind the lectern at Paisley Sheriff Court last week – competing against one of Scotland's top-performing state secondary schools in the west of Scotland final.

All four pupils – Paul and Aidan from OLSP and Amina Hussain and Caterina Lue from St Ninian's High in Giffnock – were given less than two weeks to prepare their speeches on the subject of 'How can we end the stigma of mental health in Scotland?'.

And the three judges – Sheriff Principal Duncan Murray, Superintendent Nicola Burns of Police Scotland, and Laura Mundell, senior procurator fiscal for North Strathclyde – decided, after careful deliberation, that Paul and Aidan were deserving of a place in the national semi-final in Glasgow at the beginning of May, to the delight of their watching English teacher, Alana McVean, and their supporters.

Speaking while waiting for the judges to reach their verdict, Paul, from Cardross, said: “I started speaking in the school debate club at the beginning of S2, but the first heat of this competition was my first experience of public speaking outside the club.

“Taking part in the contest has really built up my confidence. At the first heat I was thinking 'this could go wrong in so many different ways', but this is something I'm passionate about, and if you're passionate I think you'll make sure you do well.”

Aidan, from Dumbarton, added: “It's a daunting experience but I've quite enjoyed doing it.

“I'm thinking about maybe studying law when I leave school and a competition like this teaches you some of the skills you need to work in the courts.

“I'm not sure what the secret of our success is – it's just down to whatever the judges think. I couldn't say we were much better than the other team – it's just about the content of your speech and how you do on the day.”

After delivering the judges' verdict, Ms Mundell told the Reporter: “We thought the winning team was extremely well prepared – both Paul and Aidan's speeches were thoroughly researched, and we loved how they didn't just use facts, they understood the facts and the evidence they were using to back up their points.”

The next stage of the competition, the west of Scotland area final, will pit Paul and Aidan against the Glasgow Gaelic School at the Scottish Prosecution College in Glasgow on Wednesday, May 3.