The Ghana Education Service (GES), in partnership with Transforming, Teaching, Education and Learning (T-TEL) and Speech Forces, has successfully hosted the grand finale of Speak Up 1.0, an interschool debate and public speaking competition, at the University of Ghana Business School.
The event, held on December 10, 2025, on the theme: “Real voices for digital safety”, marked the climax of this year’s observance of the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence”.
Speak Up 1.0 brought together six schools pioneering the Speech Club and Career Development Initiative, implemented under the auspices of the GES by T-TEL in collaboration with the Speech Forces Organisation.
Contesting schools
The implementing schools are the Accra Wesley Girls High School, Ashaiman Senior High School, Christian Methodist Senior High School, Ngleshie Amanfro Senior High School, O’Reilly Senior High School, and Amasaman Senior High Technical School.
Following weeks of training and knockout rounds in debate and public speaking, the grand finale showcased impressive intellect and confidence from participants across the six schools.
The students engaged in topical motions on digital safety and online accountability, contributing to public discourse on creating safer digital spaces for all.
Ashaiman SHS emerged as Debate Champions, with Ngleshie Amanfro SHS securing the 1st Runner-up position. In the Public Speaking category, Accra Wesley Girls SHS won the Prepared Speech award, while the Ngleshie Amanfro SHS claimed the top prize for Impromptu Speech.
Commitment of GES
Speaking at the event, the Language Coordinator of the Greater Accra Directorate of the GES, Constance Baba Boateng, expressed the service’s commitment to supporting initiatives that “build confident, thoughtful, and responsible learners”.
“We want our schools to be places where every learner feels safe, respected, and encouraged to express themselves,” she added, describing Speak Up 1.0 as a strategic intervention supporting the service’s efforts to achieve that goal.
Representing T-TEL Executive Director, Robin Todd, the T-TEL’s Advisor on School Guidance and Student Support, Aaron Akwaboah, noted that the initiative was helping to shape the next generation of youth leaders.
He highlighted the confidence and evidence-based discussions demonstrated by the contestants.
“The student-led panel was the highlight of the event. The panellists spoke with poise, confidence and strong evidence.
The question-and-answer session showed a high level of audience engagement and demonstrated that young people are committed to driving positive change,” he remarked.
For her part, the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Coordinator at T-TEL, Marjorie Tackie, encouraged participants to take their digital health seriously and be mindful of the consequences of perpetuating harmful online habits.
Nurturing future leaders
Addressing the audience, the Director of Programmes at Speech Forces, Isaac Nyamekye Boakye, noted that the initiative was helping to identify and nurture future leaders from groups that had received limited attention, despite their immense potential.
“By equipping these learners with critical skills in public speaking, logical reasoning and teamwork, we are nurturing leadership among students who have not always had access to such opportunities,” he said, adding that Speech Forces aimed to develop globally conscious and contributory citizens.
Beyond the competition, Speak Up 1.0 featured creative performances, media engagement and youth-led panel discussions to take the advocacy beyond the auditorium.
