Fife pupils launch national joke-telling competition with their own top jokes

Youngsters at Newport Primary joined schools across Scotland for the initiative which aims to spread joy and highlight the power of communication.

On the first day of joke-telling, competitions took place across Scotland as schools selected their entries to be put forward for this year’s final, organised by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).

The competition was fierce among the pupils, with four staking their claim for a spot in the final.

Cora Latto’s joke was: “Did you hear about the race between the tomato and the lettuce? The lettuce was ahead but the tomato was trying to ‘ketchup’!

Freya Jackson raised a laugh with: “What do skeletons say at dinner time? Bone Appetite.”

Corrie Fraser had his classmates in stitches with: “What is brown and sticky? A stick!”

And Maggie Strachen got a cheer for: “Why couldn't the chicken go to the party? He had Chicken pox.”

Glenn Carter, head of RCSLT Scotland, said: “VoiceBox is a shining example of how humour and communication can bring people together. By encouraging children to express themselves through jokes, we’re helping to nurture essential communication skills while bringing joy to everyone involved.

“In an era of budget constraints, it's imperative to recognise that speech and language therapy is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. These services open doors to better education, improved mental health and stronger employment opportunities. It’s our aim to shine a spotlight on the transformative power of speech and language therapy in improving life prospects, while raising a laugh along the way.”

The final will take place on Thursday, June 5, with finalists from each of Scotland’s local authorities gathering at the Scottish Parliament, hosted by the Presiding Officer, Alison Johnstone MSP and compered by journalist and comedian Zara Janjua.

The winners will receive prizes courtesy of Collins Big Cat, the leading whole-school primary reading programme. All of the finalists will receive £100 worth of books from the competition sponsor. The overall winner will also receive a £500 book voucher for their school, ensuring plenty of new reading material for them and their classmates. Second and third place winners will each earn £200 vouchers for their school, and all three winners will be presented with a toy gift card.