Behind the speech: Miyana progresses to Rostrum Grand Final

Year 5 student Miyana Mathavan has progressed to the Grand Final of the 2026 Rostrum ACT Primary Schools Public Speaking Competition after placing first in the semi-final hosted at Burgmann on Wednesday evening.

Miyana delivered a three-minute speech on the topic Behind the Scenes, choosing to explore what sits behind crime and some of the social factors that can contribute to it.

Rather than taking the topic in an expected direction, she considered issues including poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity, before bringing her speech back to the role kindness and individual actions can play in creating a more peaceful society.

Her performance was the latest stage in a process that began much earlier in the year.

Around 30 students in Years 4 and 5 have taken part in Burgmann’s Rostrum co-curricular program this year. The program introduces students to persuasive writing and public speaking, with students developing their own ideas and gradually building the confidence to present them to others.

Michelle Roberts, Junior School Leader of Inclusion and coordinator of Burgmann’s Rostrum Program, said the program was about much more than preparing students for a competition.

“I think it’s about confidence building, developing different skills in their writing, and it’s collaborative,” Michelle said.

Students begin by learning persuasive writing skills before developing their ideas and receiving feedback. They then practise their speeches in pairs, small groups and eventually in front of the wider Rostrum group.

While teachers guide students through the process, Michelle said the ideas and speeches remain the students’ own work.

Choosing a topic they can genuinely connect with is an important part of that process.

“We encouraged people to pick a topic that they could relate to or that grabbed them, and it was much easier to then write about it,” she said.

The collaborative nature of the program has also been a significant part of the students’ development.

“They present to each other within Rostrum, they practise on each other, they share ideas, they brainstorm ideas, they give each other critiques, but they do it with a strength-based lens,” Michelle said.

As students become more confident, they move through a series of in-school speaking opportunities. From the initial group of around 30 students, eight progressed to Burgmann’s in-school final, where independent adjudicators selected two students to represent the School in the external Rostrum competition.

Michelle said the growth across the group had been evident throughout the year.

“We’ve seen them grow in confidence and ability, enthusiasm and really engage with the process,” she said.

“A lot of them are wanting to return next year, which is really positive, and their authenticity in who they are and how they speak and how they respond to their audience members.”

Miyana’s semi-final speech demonstrated many of those qualities. She opened by asking her audience to consider what really happens “behind the scenes” of crime, before exploring some of the reasons crime exists and challenging listeners to think about their own role in creating positive change.

Her conclusion returned to the idea that small acts of kindness matter, arguing that the way people treat one another can contribute to wider change.

Burgmann also played host to the ACT semi-final, with students Kiara and Reva taking on the role of co-hosts for the evening.

Michelle Roberts and Di Jones have supported students throughout the Rostrum program and will continue working with Miyana as she prepares for the Grand Final.

Miyana will receive a new topic two weeks before the Grand Final on 14 September, where she will prepare and deliver a four-minute speech.

Congratulations to Miyana on an outstanding result and to all students who have taken part in Rostrum this year.