Kirkcaldy pupils talk the talk to take the crown at Scottish competition

In a closely fought contest, held at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on May 12, Kirkcaldy beat the other regional winners from Braes High School in Falkirk and James Gillespie’s School in Edinburgh to lift the coveted shield and title.

The Kirkcaldy High School team of Kyle Pitcaithly and Umar Mohammed, both S3 pupils, were praised by the judges for the clarity of their argument and presentation, excellent teamwork and use of humour.

The judging panel, led by Procurator Fiscal for Edinburgh, Adrian Cottam, was also impressed by the way the Kirkcaldy team engaged with the audience.

The theme of the evening was marriage - specifically whether marriage in Scotland is an outdated institution. In the previous round, the plight of refugees and the impact of the media had the topics under discussion.

The judges for the event were Adrian Cottam, a legal rights lawyer, Louise Johnson of Scottish Women’s Aid and Graeme Jessop, Procurator Fiscal.

Derek Allan, rector of Kirkcaldy High School, said: “I am exceptionally proud of the boys who are both a credit to their school and their families.

“They have put a great deal of work into preparing for this competition and it really is quite an achievement considering they have had no experience of speaking in public until quite recently,” he added.

The school will now go on to represent East of Scotland schools in the national final, to be held at the High Court in Edinburgh on 1 June. They will compete against the West and North winners.