Students tackle big ideas in plain English
The dangers of deepfakes, the human cost behind AI and girls’ rights to education in Afghanistan were just a few of the topics tackled by 6 of Victoria’s most accomplished young orators at the 2026 Plain English Speaking Award (PESA) State Final Championship.
PESA is a public-speaking competition for high school students, celebrating innovative thinking, research and effective, direct communication.
Against stiff competition, Fadzai Bako from St Aloysius claimed the Championship title. Her prepared speech What colour is the headline? explored the corrosive impacts of negative media representation on African Australian youth.
Fadzai is the first back-to-back Champion in PESA’s nearly 50-year history, having won the Award in 2025 after first competing as a Year 10 student in 2024.
Encouraging participation from government, Catholic and independent schools, PESA provides an opportunity for students to build self-confidence and extend their skills in oral communication, speech writing and research.
“[PESA] is so meaningful to me,” Fadzai reflected.
"A lot of people don’t get the chance to speak up. So, myself with a voice, a really loud one, can stand up and tell people what’s on my heart – I think PESA is a great way to do that.”
Runner-up Elle Damiandis from Huntingtower School delivered her compelling speech on The human cost behind your AI prompt, examining the mental harm inflicted on workers in Kenya who sort and label images to train AI.
“It’s really important to have the ability to speak confidently and speak your mind about a topic you’re passionate about,” Elle expressed.
Congratulations to all the participants in this year’s competition.