ED/01/03/01-Cir (EFLB) 2020.01.

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Circular No : 07 / 2020.

To: Provincial Secretaries of Education,

Provincial Directors of Education,
Provincial Coordinators of English,
Zonal Directors of Education,
Zonal DDEs/ADEs of English,
Principals,

English Language and Drama Competitions

Circular Number 09/2014 (iii) dated 30.01.2018 and 09/2014 dated 15.02.2016 on the same
subject are cancelled hereby and this new circular will be effective from 01.01.2020.

02. National Level English Language and Drama Competitions are held annually at school,
divisional/zonal, provincial and national levels with the primary aim of enhancing the
knowledge of English language and its use among the students in the government
schools, government approved private schools and pirivena institutions in Sri Lanka.
Further, the following objectives are expected to be achieved through the competitions.
 to enable participation at all levels on an island-wide basis.
 to encourage and motivate the students to learn and use English proficiently.
 to provide recognition to children with the potential to develop their English
language skills further.
 to motivate the students to read popular English literary texts.
 to foster students‘ critical thinking skills.
 to provide recognition to dedicated, innovative and creative teachers.
03. The types of events in the competition.
1. Written events - Hand writing (Print Script & Cursive Script), Dictation,
Creative Writing, Literary Appreciation.
2. Performing events - Recitation, Oratory (Prepared, Impromptu), Drama
04. The competitions must be conducted under the following two categories of schools.
 Category A – Schools with the student population up to 500.
 Category B – Schools with the student population above 500.

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 School level competitions must be conducted in such a manner that they

a. get the participation of every child at school level.

b. promote English use in an interesting manner.
c. do not disrupt the routine/usual school work.
d. do not incur unnecessary expenses for the competitors, teachers, schools or parents.
05. The Zonal ADE are advised to train a team of judges and marking examiners for all the
events from the teachers of English for both zonal and divisional levels.
The Provincial Coordinators/DDEs/ADEs are advised to train a team of judges and
marking examiners from ISAs, RESC Officers and Master Trainers.
06. Competitors are expected to use accepted Standard English in any event of the
competition.

07. The following time schedule must be followed in conducting the competitions:

 School Level Competitions From 1st January to 15th March

 Divisional/Zonal Level Competitions From 16th March to 31st May
 Provincial Level Competitions From 1st June to 15th July
 National Level Competitions From 15th September to 15th October

08. Officers concerned must make every effort to conduct the competitions according to the
above schedule and submit the results in time, as late entries may be rejected at all
levels.

Provincial level results must reach the Director / English and Foreign Languages, by 15th
August with a soft copy of an excel file (using the font - Times New Roman - size 12)
according to the format prescribed (Annexure iv and v) by the English and Foreign
Languages Branch. Results received after this date may be rejected and such provinces
may be excluded from the National Level Competitions.

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08. The following list of individual events are applicable for both categories of schools;
A and B.
Individual Events:

Hand Hand writing Oratory/ Literary

Creative Oratory /
Grade writing / /Cursive Dictation Recitation Imprompt Appreci
Writing Prepared
Print Script Script u ation
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

Drama:
Primary Grade 3 - Grade 5
Junior Grade 6 - Grade 9
Senior Dialogue Grade 10 - Grade 13 (Applicable only for category B)
Senior Poetic Grade 10 - Grade 13 (Applicable only for category B)

This circular must be adhered to in planning, organizing, conducting, judging and keeping
records of the competitions to ensure that they are held in a uniform, impartial and reasonable
manner throughout the country.

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 General Instructions on conducting the English Language and Drama Competitions
(from 2020 onwards).

1. Handwriting: (Grade 3 – Grade 13)

In this event, the competitors must only use ball point pens. Special permission is granted
for Grade 3 and 4 students to write with either a pen or a pencil. Use of gel pens is not
allowed. This event is conducted under two categories:

(a) Hand writing-Print Script: Students from Grade 3 to 13 can participate in this
event. Competitors must use block (not joined) letters. Only the students of grade 3 –
5 can be allowed to leave a blank line in between the writing in a single rule sheet of
paper.
(b) Hand writing-Cursive Script: Students from Grade 10 to 13 can participate in this
event. Joined-up writing must be used. Competitors must specifically use Civil
Service Script. Other styles are not accepted. Civil Service Script is given in
Annexure 01.
1.1 Competitors are required to copy a given passage within a limited time. Texts are
selected from the relevant text books except at national level, where unseen passages
are used. The competitors will be provided with single ruled paper.

1.2 The time given for the Hand writing event is 30 minutes. Length of the text for each
grade is given below:

Grade Length of the text

3, 4, 5 25 to 35 words
6, 7 60 to 70 words
8, 9 80 to 90 words
10, 11 100 to 110 words
12, 13 110 to 120 words

1.3 The competitors must copy the whole passage only once within the given time. All
competitors must submit their entries, whether complete or incomplete at the end of
the given period of time. Incomplete work will not be considered. Use of correction
fluid is prohibited.

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 1.4 Competitors’ work will be judged on a countdown system of marking based on
the following criteria:

 Errors in spelling or in missing out / addition of words are accepted to a maximum

of three (3). If there are any such errors above three (3), the entry should be
rejected.
 Write the letter ―R‖ to indicate that the script is rejected (date and sign).
 Punctuation and other errors must be marked only in the un-rejected entries.
 Reduce 1 mark for each error with reference to the following criteria. A repeated
error of any criterion given below must be counted as one error.
 Count the total number of errors (inclusive of the spelling errors up to 3, if there is
any) and deduct from 100 to get the final score.
 If there are any ties, award extra points out of 10 for the graphical presentation of
the written work.
 For the formality and neatness of the handwriting
 Accepted formation of letters
 Stipulated size among letters
 Legibility
 Space between words
 Punctuation (Total – 100 marks)

2. Dictation (Grade 6 – Grade 13)

In this event, a passage and a list of 10 words will be dictated. The list of 10 words will be
marked to avoid any tie in the event. The Dictation passage and the list of words are
based on the relevant text books only at school / divisional / zonal level except the
provincial and national levels, where an unseen passage and words will be given.

2.1 The Dictation event is administered as follows:

 First Reading: First, the whole text followed by the words is read at normal
conversational speed during which competitors are not allowed to write. They must
listen and try to understand it.

 Second Reading: The competitors will be asked to write at the second reading. The
text is read in chunks. After each chunk there will be a pause, during which the
competitors are expected to write down what they have heard in a form of a

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 meaningful text in a paragraph. Instruct the students to write the extra words in a
form of a vertical list.
 Third Reading: Begins after a pause of 1 minute after the second reading. The text
and the list of words are read again at normal conversational speed.
 At the end of the third reading, there will be a pause of two minutes. Competitors
must use this time to check spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
 Announce the end of the competition.
2.2 Text length of Dictation passages for each Grade is given below:

Grade Text Length

6, 7 60 to 70 words
8, 9 70 to 80 words
10, 11 90 to 100 words
12, 13 100 to 110 words

2.3 Competitors‘ work will be judged in accordance with the original text on the
following criteria on a countdown system of marking from 100. (If any clarification is
needed, the second judge‘s notes can be referred):

i. Entries written in phrases/ chunks will be rejected.

ii. Accuracy of spelling – Mark every error. Reduce 2 marks for each error. If the
same word is misspelt several times in the text, it is counted as one error. Reject
entries that carry over 7 errors.
iii. Write the letter ―R‖ to indicate that the script is rejected (date and sign).
iv. Punctuation – Punctuation errors must be marked only in the un-rejected entries.
v. Reduce 1 mark for each punctuation error.

vi. Omission or Addition of words - If a word is omitted it is also counted as one

error. Similarly, if a word is added, that too is counted as one error. Reduce 2
marks each for each of the two categories of errors.

3. Creative Writing (Grade 6 – Grade 13)

The competitors are required to write on a given story line, which should be selected
carefully so that it is within the social, psychological, emotional and cognitive scope of
the child. The story line need not be text-based; however, it must be within the

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 experiences and interests of the children of the particular grade. The competitor has the
freedom either to begin writing with the given story line or use it at any point of his/
her piece of writing.

3.1 Particulars about the event are given in the following chart:

Grades Time (Minutes) Number of Words Expected

6–9 30 150 - 200
10 - 11 40 200 - 250
12 - 13 45 250 - 300

Any entry that does not have or exceed the expected number of words will be
rejected.

3.2 Competitors‘ work will be judged on the following criteria:

Criteria Marks
1 Creativity/Originality 40
2 Organization/ Coherence 30
3 Grammar and Spelling 20
4 Adherence to topic 10
Total Marks 100
Marks given for each of the above criteria must be clearly indicated at the bottom of the
final page of each entry.

__ , __ , __ , __ = _____
40 30 20 10 100

4. Literary Appreciation. (Grade 6 – Grade 11)

The event is open to all the students from grade 6 to 11, irrespective of whether they have
selected the subject ―Appreciation of English Literary Text‖ at school level or not.
4.1 Objectives:-
 To improve basic knowledge of English Literature.
 To inculcate positive attitudes in life.
 To encourage reading and appreciation of English Literary texts.
 To direct the students for critical thinking.

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 4.2 The question paper for each grade should be consisted of 10 questions. It is targeted to
test the memory, relation to the context and the ability to infer and appreciate the
literary texts with creativity. Questions will be based on ―poems‖ in the English
Language text books of respective grades and on prescribed texts for each grade.
4.3 The prescribed literary texts are as follows.

Grade Name of the Book Author Publisher

Grade 6 1. Cinderella Ladybird Tales
2. Pinocchio Ladybird Tales
Grade 7 1. Rapunzel Ladybird Tales
2. Jungle Book Rudyard Kipling Octopus Books
Grade 8 1. Madol Duwa Martin Wickramasinghe
2. Black Beauty Anna Sewell McMillan
Grade 9 1. Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson McMillan
2. Mill on the Floss George Eliot McMillan
Grade 10 1. The Secret Garden McMillan
2. Gulliver‘s Travels Jonathan Swift McMillan
(Abridged)
Grade 11 1. The Adventures of Tom Deidre S Laiken McMillan
Sawyer (Abridged)
2. The Lost World Arthur Conon Doyle Puffin Classics

4.4 Criteria for Judging:-

6 – 9 : The papers are consisted of contextual questions and the marking criteria is
given on each of the model papers attached.

10, 11: The papers are consisted of contextual questions and questions for literary
appreciation and critical thinking too. The marking criteria is given with the
model papers attached.

5. Recitation (Grade 3 – Grade 11)

Poems for Recitation will be prescribed periodically by the English and Foreign
Languages Branch of the Ministry of Education. The prescribed list of poem will be sent
to the provincial authorities.

The competitor must face the panel of judges when reciting the poem. There should be a
distance of about 3 meters between the competitor and the panel of judges.

Organizers must ensure that separate class rooms are arranged in order to have a quiet
atmosphere for the Recitation event. If a competitor forgets the lines while reciting, marks
will be deducted.

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 5.1 Criteria for judging - Recitation.

Criteria Marks
1. Expression of the content, the tone, the mood, of the poem (must be 40
expressed through voice without resorting to action.)
2. Pronunciation 20
3. Audibility / Pitch/ Clarity (Audibility and Pitch should not be at the 20
expense of meaning and expression)
4. Posture / Eye Contact 10
5. Pace/Pause / Rhythm 10
Total Marks 100

5.2 Reduce marks for lack of accuracy in recall. Give minus one (-1) each for the
addition or omission of a word. If it exceeds minus three (-3), the attempt will be
rejected. This relates to number 1 of the above criteria.

6. Oratory (Grade 10 – Grade 13)

Separate class rooms should be arranged to hold the event. The competitor must face the
panel of judges when delivering the speech. There should be a distance of about 3 meters
between the competitor and the judges.

There are two categories of oratorical competitive events.

6.1 Oratory - Prepared: A speech delivered by a famous person is to be re-delivered by

the competitor. Speech texts will be prescribed periodically by the English and
Foreign Languages Branch of the Ministry of Education. Texts of prescribed speeches
will be sent to the provincial authorities.

The time allotted for a speech is approximately 5 minutes.

6.2 Criteria for Judging Oratory - Prepared:

Criteria Marks
1. Delivery/Fluency (Understanding of content) 30
2. Pronunciation 20
3. Expression, Tone, Mood 20
4. Audibility / Pitch/ Clarity (Audibility and Pitch should not be at 10
the expense of meaning and expression)
5. Posture/Eye Contact 10
6. Accuracy (addition/ omission of words) 10
Total Marks 100

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 6.3 Oratory - Impromptu:

 Each competitor will be given the topic 10 minutes before they are due to present the
speech.
 The competitors who are awaiting their turn for preparation should be kept in a
separate class room to avoid them gaining any advantage by possessing prior
knowledge of the kind of topics being given.
 After the topic is given to the first competitor, the next competitor should be called
only after 5 minutes to the room where the competition is held.
 Judges should ensure that only those two competitors are kept in the room where the
event is held.
 Organizers should deploy a coordinator to call competitors from the waiting room to
the room where the competition is held.
 Prior to the event, give clear instructions to all the competitors at the waiting room.
 The time allowed for this event is three minutes.
 A warning bell should be sounded at two minutes and a final bell at three minutes.

6.4 Criteria for Judging Oratory/ Impromptu:

Criteria Marks
Content/ Relevance / Organization 30
Delivery/Fluency/Persuasion 20
Pronunciation 20
Audibility / Pitch / Clarity 20
Posture/Eye Contact 10
Total Marks 100

7. Drama (Grade 3 – Grade 13)

The Drama Competition serves as a platform for students and teachers to promote and
demonstrate creativity. Drama motivates students‘ opportunities to use English and
therefore, their command of the language can be improved.

There are four categories of Drama as given below.

Category Group Duration in Minutes

Primary Grade 3 – 5 20
Junior Grade 6 – 9 25
Senior/Dialogue Grade 10 - 13 30
Senior/Poetic Grade 10 - 13 30

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7.1 Each drama must incorporate one of the following themes:

Love Society and Culture Environment Humanity

Peace and harmony Historical Events Myth/Legend Dynamism

Select themes so that they will instill values amongst students to be more sensitive
and appreciative of human beings regarding emotional, social and cultural issues.

The Dialogue Drama is characterized by the use of day-to-day speech as it relates to

everyday life. A drama written wholly or mainly in verse or in a heightened poetic
form of prose is referred to as a Poetic Drama.

7.2 (a) The duration of the dramas presented for the competitions must adhere to the
specified times shown above.

 A drama five (5) minutes shorter or longer than the specified time will be
disqualified.
 Three (3) marks will be deducted if the drama is three (3) minutes shorter or
longer than the specified time.
 Five (5) marks will be deducted if the drama is four (4) minutes shorter or
longer than the specified time.
(b) All dramas presented for the competitions must be original productions. The
Principal must certify that the drama is an original production. Moreover, the
script of the drama should be made available to the organizers in advance.

(c) The responsibility of the Provincial Co-ordinator is to send 6 personally

certified copies of the script of each winning drama of respective category at
the Provincial Level to the Director, English & Foreign Languages Branch of
the Ministry, along with the Provincial Results.

(d) The cast of a drama should not be less than six or more than twelve. They
may perform any number of characters. Students who actively play their
roles on stage as main or supporting characters as per the script will only be
considered as characters. Students cannot be used on stage as stage props.

(e) While performing, the students or teachers of the relevant school can be allowed
for any assistance behind the curtain. Competing teams can make arrangements to
play a CD or a DVD as well. The organizers, however, are not responsible for any

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 failure or breakdown in this respect. No outside professional assistance and
technical equipment (light and sound) are allowed at all levels.

(f) Certification from the Principal:-

I. The authenticity of the script.

II. The authenticity of the production.
Presentations may not contain more than 10% singing. Priority will be given to
dramatic performance and acting and verbalization skills rather than to the use of
props, music, expensive costumes etc.

(g) Poetic drama should reflect the period (Elizabethan / Victorian / Modern and so
on) to which the drama belongs (costume, character, stage props).

(h) Each team is responsible for setting up (5 Minutes) and clearing of sets and
props (5 minutes). Timing of the presentation starts with the first movement, first
word uttered or any sound / lighting effects, once the stage is cleared.

(i) Service of a prompter is allowed. However, the prompter must do his/her part
unobtrusively. The prompter must be one of the students from the competing
school, and is not counted as a member of the cast. Attempts at identifying one‘s
team and addressing judges may only result in loss of time and effect.

(j) Creativity, innovation, effectiveness and economical use of resources will be given
preference over mere theatricality.

(k) What is not acceptable:

i. Use of obscene words, alcohol, sharp objects, fire, inflammable and dangerous
chemical substances, items suggesting drugs, smoking.

ii. Use of attire suggestive of immodesty.

iii. Interpretation in terms of overt sexual behaviour, and deliberate perversion of

morality / values.

iv. Use of non - English inputs.

v. Scripts with reference to sensitive issues regarding public sensitivity/ conflict

of interest.

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 vi. Scripts and adaptations that have already been presented with substantial
evidence of such earlier presentations – strongly reminiscent of previous
shows - will lead to disqualification.

(l) It has been noted that there is a recent tendency for the cast to spill over
to the auditorium, and perform to the panel of judges ignoring the stage
almost entirely. Performing in this way is not allowed.

(m) Criteria for judging the Drama competition are given below:

Criteria Marks
Creativity / Authenticity / Consistency (relevance of 20
theme / message)
Acting – appropriateness in relation to the role 20
Use of stage space, involvement of all actors 20
Audibility, clarity, accuracy (pronunciation) 15
Relevant / economical / effective use of stage props 15
Costumes / Makeup 10
Total Marks 100

As a step towards making use of the ‗marks‘ allotted for each category please make
use of the following general outline given below.

3–5 - Weak
6 – 8, 9 - Acceptable
10 – 15 - Good
16 – 20 - Error free commendable

8. Specific instructions related to the competitions.

i. Students who win the first and the second places in all the individual events at any
level are eligible to compete at the next (upper) level of the competitions.

ii. In the event of a competitor who has been qualified for the next level, being enrolled
to a new school amidst competitions, is eligible to represent the former school /
division / zone / province.

iii. The students who have sat for the O/L examination in December the previous year,
are not eligible to compete for grade 12 individual events in the immediate year.

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iv. It is essential that competitors for divisional/zonal level are selected on the results
of the school level competitions, which should be conducted under the
supervision and the certification of the Principal, that the competitions were
conducted properly and impartially. After the school level competitions, Zonal
authorities may decide whether to conduct Divisional level competitions or Zonal
level competitions directly depending on the circumstances.

v. The dramas placed first at one level are eligible to compete at the next level
respectively.

vi. Each competitor can take part only in two individual events in addition to drama.

vii. All competitors must be in basic school uniform for the individual events at all levels.
In order to maintain the anonymity of the competitors during the competitions,
arrangements must be made to cover up identifying features on the uniform such
as monograms, so that room for criticism of bias in the judgments can be
minimized.

viii. The competitors, judges and authorized officers are allowed to enter the ‗competition
area‘ for individual events. Only teachers and students of the respective schools are
allowed to watch the dramas on condition that they do not disturb the proceedings.
Video and audio recordings can be allowed only on prior written request by the
principal of the respective school with the prior approval of the relevant zonal /
provincial / national authority.

ix. Competitions need to be conducted systematically and methodically at all levels.

Answer scripts, task sheets, and duly filled mark sheets and signature sheets and other
relevant documents must be dated and signed by the relevant judges and finally by the
Director and preserved for a period of at least three years so that they are available for
scrutiny in case of an inquiry.

x. The decision of the judges will be final. However, any grievances at any level
should be submitted in writing immediately after the competition to the relevant
authority. No complaints will be received after the day of the competition. The
National Level results will be informed to the Provincial authorities and made
available on the Ministry of Education website (www.moe.gov.lk) after the results are
released.

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xi. Selection of the Panel of Judges: - The following instructions must to be taken into
consideration.
(a) For Recitation and oratory competitions, a panel should consist of 3 judges
and an additional judge for checking accuracy.
(b) In drama competitions, the panel should consist of 5 judges in addition to the
accuracy judge.
(c) Trainers or judges involved in coaching individual events or drama at any
level must not be included in the panel of judges.

(d) They should be competent, qualified and knowledgeable in the specific areas.
Further, they must be honest and impartial in their decisions / judgements.

(e) When deploying judges, the organizers should ensure that the panel is selected
beforehand in such a way that any biases/ partiality is avoided.

(f) Confidentiality must be maintained at all times.

xii. All the Zonal / Provincial Coordinators of English -ADE / DDE (English) are
responsible for the selection of schools as to Category A or Category B.

Category A - Schools with the student population up to 500 (1 – 500)

Category B - Schools with the student population above 500 (501 and above)
Any school participated in the wrong category providing false data / information will
be disqualified at any level.

xiii. The following should be submitted at the registration of the students:

1. A list of competitors certified by the Principal.

2. A valid Identity Card (Postal /National / Passport or a photograph certified by the

Principal).

3. The formats sent by the Ministry of Education for the entry of national level
competition should be duly filled and certified by the principal. It should be
handed over to the registration desk on the day of national level competition.

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 Annex - I

Civil Service Script

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 POEMS FOR RECITATION – ENGLISH DAY COMPETITIONS - 2020

GRADE THREE

UPSIDE DOWN by Aileen Fisher THE STARS BY Lucy Diamond

It‘s funny how beetles When I am in my bed at night,
And creatures like that, Between the blinds I see
Can walk upside down The dearest little twinkling star ,
As well as walk flat. Who comes to peep at me.

They crawl on a ceiling I know he stays there all the night,

And climb on a wall, But at the break of day
Without any practice I cannot see him anywhere:
Or trouble at all. Why does he go away?

I wonder if the reason‘s this!

While I have been trying
Perhaps he goes from me
For a year (may be more)
To peep at other little girls,
And still I can‘t stand, In lands across the sea.
With my head on the floor.

GRADE FOUR

HONEY BEAR by Elizabeth Lang

There was a big bear
Who lived in a cave; The Butterfly Song
His greatest love
Was honey. Every little butterfly-
Loves the tiny flowers.
He had two pence a week On a petal bell he swings,
Which he never could save, All the sunny hours.
So he never had
Any money. When the flowers awake from sleep-
And the soft wind blows.
I bought him a money- box Swinging on the petal bell,
Red and round, Up and down he goes.
In which to put
His money. Soon, so soon ,the day is done,
Evening shadows creep.
He saved and saved Then the little butterflies-
Till he got a pound, Fold their wings and sleep.
And then spent it all
On honey.

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 GRADE FIVE

The Canary - by Elizabeth Turner My Puppy Makes Pizza

by Kenn Nesbitt
Mary had a little bird,
With feathers bright and yellow, My puppy makes pizza
Slender legs-upon my word, He bakes them every day
He was a pretty fellow! In chef hat and apron
He‘s quite the gourmet.
Sweetest notes he always sung,
Which much delighted Mary; He‘ll roll out some dough
Often where his cage was hung,
And he‘ll give it a toss,
She sat to hear Canary.
Then spread on a generous
Crumbs of bread and dainty seeds Topping of sauce.
She carried to him daily,
Seeking for the early weeds, He‘ll heap it with cheeses
She decked his palace gaily. And mountains of meat,
But, still, it‘s not something
This, my little readers, learn,
You‘d probably eat.
And ever practice duly;
Songs and smiles of love return
To friends who love you truly. For though he makes pizza,
With obvious flair,
It all ends up covered
With slobber and hair.

GRADE SIX

My Doggy Ate My Essay - by Darren Sardelli

My doggy ate my essay. My room looked like a palace,

He picked up all my mail. and my dresser smelled like pine.
He cleaned my dirty closet
He fluffed up every pillow.
and dusted with his tail.
He folded all my clothes.
He even cleaned my fish tank
He straightened out my posters
With a toothbrush and a hose.
And swept my wooden floor.
My parents almost fainted
I thought it was amazing
When he fixed my bedroom door.
to see him use a broom.
I‘m glad he ate my essay
I did not try to stop him.
On ―How to Clean My Room.‖
He made my windows shine.

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Betty At The Party

―When I was at the party,‖ Said Betty seriously.

Said Betty, aged just four, ―Why not?‖ her mother asked her,
― A little girl fell off her chair Full of delight to find
That Betty – bless her little heart! -
Right down upon the floor;
Had been so sweetly kind.
And all the other little girls, ―Why didn‘t you laugh, my darling?
Began to laugh , but me - Or don‘t you like to tell?‖
―I didn‘t laugh,‖ said Betty,
I didn‘t laugh a single bit,‖
―Because it was I that fell.‖

GRADE SEVEN

Homework , I Love You by Kenn Nesbitt Keep A Poem In Your Pocket

Homework, I love you. I think that you are By Beatrice Schenk de Regniers
great.
Keep a poem in your pocket
It‘s wonderful fun when you keep me up late.
And a picture in your head
I think you‘re the best when I‘m totally
And you'll never feel lonely
stressed,
At night when you're in bed.
Preparing and cramming all night for a test.

The little poem will sing to you

Homework, I love you. What more can I say?
The little picture bring to you
I love to do hundreds of problems each day.
A dozen dreams to dance to you
You boggle my mind and you make me go
At night when you're in bed.
blind,
But still I‘m ecstatic that you were assigned. So - - Keep a picture in your pocket
And a poem in your head
Homework, I love you, You thrill me inside. And you'll never feel lonely
I‘m filled with emotions, I‘m fit to be tied. At night when you're in bed.
I cannot complain when you frazzle my brain.
Of course, that‘s because I‘m completely
insane.

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 GRADE EIGHT

The Sheep - by Ann and Jane Taylor

"Lazy sheep, pray tell me why I Remember, I Remember -
by Thomas Hood
In the pleasant fields you lie,
Eating grass, and daisies white, I remember, I remember,
The house where I was born,
From the morning till the night?
The little window where the sun
Everything can something do, Came peeping in at morn;
But what kind of use are you?" He never came a wink too soon,
Nor brought too long a day,
"Nay, my little master, nay, But now, I often wish the night
Had borne my breath away!
Do not serve me so, I pray;
Don't you see the wool that grows I remember, I remember,
On my back, to make you clothes? The roses, red and white,
The vi'lets, and the lily-cups,
Cold, and very cold, you'd be Those flowers made of light!
If you had not wool from me. The lilacs where the robin built,
And where my brother set
True, it seems a pleasant thing, The laburnum on his birthday,—
The tree is living yet!
To nip the daisies in the spring;
But many chilly nights I pass
On the cold and dewy grass, I remember, I remember,
Where I was used to swing,
Or pick a scanty dinner, where And thought the air must rush as fresh
All the common's brown and bare. To swallows on the wing;
My spirit flew in feathers then,
Then the farmer comes at last, That is so heavy now,
When the merry spring is past, And summer pools could hardly cool
The fever on my brow!
And cuts my woolly coat away,
To warm you in the winter's day: I remember, I remember,
The fir trees dark and high;
Little master, this is why
I used to think their slender tops
In the pleasant fields I lie. Were close against the sky:
It was a childish ignorance,
But now 'tis little joy
To know I'm farther off from heav'n
Than when I was a boy.

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 GRADE NINE
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud - BY WILLIAM WO RDSWO RTH

I wandered lonely as a cloud The waves beside them danced; but they
That floats on high o'er vales and hills, Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
When all at once I saw a crowd, A poet could not but be gay,
A host, of golden daffodils; In such a jocund company:
Beside the lake, beneath the trees, I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. What wealth the show to me had brought:
Continuous as the stars that shine
For oft, when on my couch I lie
And twinkle on the milky way,
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They stretched in never-ending line
They flash upon that inward eye
Along the margin of a bay:
Which is the bliss of solitude;
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
And dances with the daffodils.

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat - by Edward Lear

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
In a beautiful pea-green boat, With a ring at the end of his nose,
They took some honey, and plenty of His nose,
money, His nose,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note. With a ring at the end of his nose.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar, ‗Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one
‗O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love, shilling
What a beautiful Pussy you are, Your ring?‘ Said the Piggy, ‗I will.‘
You are, So they took it away, and were married
You are! next day
What a beautiful Pussy you are!‘ By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Pussy said to the Owl, ‗You elegant fowl! Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
How charmingly sweet you sing! And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
O let us be married! too long we have They danced by the light of the moon,
tarried: The moon,
But what shall we do for a ring?‘ The moon,
They sailed away, for a year and a day, They danced by the light of the moon.
To the land where the Bong-Tree grows

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 GRADE TEN

The Dentist and the Crocodile - by Roald Dahl

The crocodile, with cunning smile, sat in the dentist‘s chair.

He said, ―Right here and everywhere my teeth require repair.‖
The dentist‘s face was turning white. He quivered, quaked and shook.
He muttered, ―I suppose I‘m going to have to take a look.‖
―I want you‖, Crocodile declared, ―to do the back ones first.
The molars at the very back are easily the worst.‖
He opened wide his massive jaws. It was a fearsome sight—
At least three hundred pointed teeth, all sharp and shining white.
The dentist kept himself well clear. He stood two yards away.
He chose the longest probe he had to search out the decay.
―I said to do the back ones first!‖ the Crocodile called out.
―You‘re much too far away, dear sir, to see what you‘re about.
To do the back ones properly you‘ve got to put your head
Deep down inside my great big mouth,‖ the grinning Crocky said.
The poor old dentist wrung his hands and, weeping in despair,
He cried, ―No no! I see them all extremely well from here!‖
Just then, in burst a lady, in her hands a golden chain.
She cried, ―Oh Croc, you naughty boy, you‘re playing tricks again!‖
―Watch out!‖ the dentist shrieked and started climbing up the wall.
―He‘s after me! He‘s after you! He‘s going to eat us all!‖
―Don‘t be a twit,‖ the lady said, and flashed a gorgeous smile.
―He‘s harmless, He‘s my little pet, my lovely crocodile.‖

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Sick - by Shel Silverstein
"I cannot go to school today,"
Said little Peggy Ann McKay,
"I have the measles and the mumps,
A gash, a rash, and purple bumps.

My mouth is wet, my throat is dry,

I'm going blind in my right eye.
My tonsils are as big as rocks,
I've counted sixteen chicken pox

And there's one more--that's seventeen,

And don't you think my face looks green?
My leg is cut - my eyes are blue -
It might be instamatic flu.

I cough and sneeze and gasp and choke,

I'm sure that my left leg is broke -
My hip hurts when I move my chin,
My belly button's caving in,

My back is wrenched, my ankle's sprained,

My 'pendix pains each time it rains.
My nose is cold, my toes are numb,
I have a sliver in my thumb.

My neck is stiff, my voice is weak,

I hardly whisper when I speak.
My tongue is filling up my mouth,
I think my hair is falling out.

My elbow's bent, my spine ain't straight,

My temperature is one-o-eight.
My brain is shrunk, I cannot hear,
There is a hole inside my ear.

I have a hangnail, and my heart is - what?

What's that? What's that you say?
You say today is - Saturday?
G‘bye, I‘m going out to play!‖

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 GRADE ELEVEN

Seven Stages of Man – by William Shakespeare

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;
And then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

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The Charge of the Light Brigade - by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Half a league, half a league, Storm‘d at with shot and shell,

Half a league onward, Boldly they rode and well,

All in the valley of Death Into the jaws of Death,

Rode the six hundred: Into the mouth of Hell

Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns‘ he said: Flash‘d all their sabres bare,

Into the valley of Death Flash‘d as they turn‘d in air

Rode the six hundred. Sabring the gunners there,

Charging an army while
"Forward, the Light Brigade!" All the world wonder‘d:
Was there a man dismay‘d? Plunged in the battery-smoke
Not tho the soldier knew Right thro‘ the line they broke;
Some one had blunder‘d: Cossack and Russian
Theirs not to make reply, Reel‘d from the sabre-stroke,
Theirs not to reason why, Shatter‘d and sunder‘d.
Theirs but to do and die, Then they rode back, but not
Into the valley of Death Not the six hundred.
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley‘d and thunder‘d;

26
PRESCRIBED TEXT FOR ORATORY (PREPARED ) - GRADE 10
AN EXTRACT FROM THE AUTHENTIC TEXT OF CHIEF SEATTLE'S TREATY ORATION 1854
Day and night cannot dwell together. The Red Man has ever fled the approach of the White
Man, as the morning mist flees before the morning sun. However, your proposition seems
fair and I think that my people will accept it and will retire to the reservation you offer them.
Then we will dwell apart in peace, for the words of the Great White Chief seem to be the
words of nature speaking to my people out of dense darkness.
It matters little where we pass the remnant of our days. They will not be many. The Indian's
night promises to be dark. Not a single star of hope hovers above his horizon. Sad-voiced
winds moan in the distance. Grim fate seems to be on the Red Man's trail, and wherever he
will hear the approaching footsteps of his fell destroyer and prepare stolidly to meet his
doom, as does the wounded doe that hears the approaching footsteps of the hunter.
A few more moons, a few more winters, and not one of the descendants of the mighty hosts
that once moved over this broad land or lived in happy homes, protected by the Great
Spirit, will remain to mourn over the graves of a people once more powerful and hopeful
than yours. But why should I mourn at the untimely fate of my people? Tribe follows tribe,
and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is
useless. Your time of decay may be distant, but it will surely come, for even the White Man
whose God walked and talked with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt from the
common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We will see.
We will ponder your proposition and when we decide we will let you know. But should we
accept it, I here and now make this condition that we will not be denied the privilege
without molestation of visiting at any time the tombs of our ancestors, friends, and children.
Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley,
every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long
vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as the swelter in the sun along
the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my
people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their
footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet
are conscious of the sympathetic touch. Our departed braves, fond mothers, glad, happy
hearted maidens, and even the little children who lived here and rejoiced here for a brief
season, will love these somber solitudes and at eventide they greet shadowy returning
spirits. And when the last Red Man shall have perished, and the memory of my tribe shall
have become a myth among the White Men, these shores will swarm with the invisible dead
of my tribe, and when your children's children think themselves alone in the field, the store,
the shop, upon the highway, or in the silence of the pathless woods, they will not be alone.
In all the earth there is no place dedicated to solitude. At night when the streets of your
cities and villages are silent and you think them deserted, they will throng with the returning
hosts that once filled them and still love this beautiful land. The White Man will never be
alone.
Let him be just and deal kindly with my people, for the dead are not powerless. Dead, did I
say? There is no death, only a change of worlds.

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PRESCRIBED TEXT FOR ORATORY (PREPARED ) - GRADE 11

Speech: “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears”

BY WILLIAM SH AKESP EARE
(from Julius Caesar, spoken by Marc Antony)
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer‘d it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest–
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men–
Come I to speak in Caesar‘s funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

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PRESCRIBED TEXT FOR ORATORY (PREPARED ) GRADE 12

Excerpts from the First Inaugural speech made by Mr Ronald Reagen-delivered on 20th
January 1981

Senator Hatfield, Mr. Chief Justice, Mr. President, Vice President Bush, Vice President
Mondale, Senator Baker, Speaker O‘Neill, Reverend Moomaw, and my fellow citizens:

This is the first time in our history that this ceremony has been held, as you‘ve been told, on
this West Front of the Capitol.

Standing here, one faces a magnificent vista, opening up on this city‘s special beauty and
history. At the end of this open mall are those shrines to the giants on whose shoulders we
stand. Directly in front of me, the monument to a monumental man. George Washington,
father of our country. A man of humility who came to greatness reluctantly. He led America
out of revolutionary victory into infant nationhood. Off to one side, the stately memorial to
Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence flames with his eloquence. And then
beyond the Reflecting Pool, the dignified columns of the Lincoln Memorial. Whoever would
understand in his heart the meaning of America will find it in the life of Abraham Lincoln.

Beyond those moments -- those monuments to heroism is the Potomac River, and on the far
shore the sloping hills of Arlington National Cemetery, with its row upon row of simple
white markers bearing crosses or Stars of David. They add up to only a tiny fraction of the
price that has been paid for our freedom.

Each one of those markers is a monument to the kind of hero I spoke of earlier. Their lives
ended in places called Belleau Wood, the Argonne, Omaha Beach, Salerno, and halfway
around the world on Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Pork Chop Hill, the Chosin Reservoir, and in a
hundred rice paddies and jungles of a place called Vietnam.

Under one such a marker lies a young man, Martin Treptow, who left his job in a small town
barber shop in 1917 to go to France with the famed Rainbow Division. There, on the Western
front, he was killed trying to carry a message between battalions under heavy fire. We're told
that on his body was found a diary. On the flyleaf under the heading, ―My Pledge,‖ he had
written these words:

29
"America must win this war. Therefore, I will work; I will save; I will sacrifice; I will endure;
I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me
alone."

The crisis we are facing today does not require of us the kind of sacrifice that Martin Treptow
and so many thousands of others were called upon to make. It does require, however, our best
effort, and our willingness to believe in ourselves and to believe in our capacity to perform
great deeds; to believe that together with God‘s help we can and will resolve the problems
which now confront us.

And after all, why shouldn‘t we believe that? We are Americans.

God bless you and thank you. Thank you very much.

PRESCRIBED TEXTS FOR ORATORY (PREPARED) – GRADE 13

Excerpts from John .F. Kennedy’s Inaugural speech delivered on 20th January 1961

Vice President Johnson, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, President Eisenhower, Vice
President Nixon, President Truman, reverend clergy, fellow citizens:

We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom -- symbolizing an end,
as well as a beginning -- signifying renewal, as well as change. For I have sworn before you
and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-
quarters ago.

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all
forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs
for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe -- the belief that the rights of
man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth
from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new
generation of Americans -- born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and
bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow
undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which
we are committed today at home and around the world.

30
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any
burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the
success of liberty.

This much we pledge -- and more.

To those old allies whose cultural and spiritual origins we share, we pledge the loyalty of
faithful friends. United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided
there is little we can do -- for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split
asunder.

To those new states whom we welcome to the ranks of the free, we pledge our word that one
form of colonial control shall not have passed away merely to be replaced by a far more iron
tyranny. We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always
hope to find them strongly supporting their own freedom -- and to remember that, in the past,
those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.

To those people in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of
mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves, for whatever period is
required -- not because the Communists may be doing it, not because we seek their votes, but
because it is right. If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few
who are rich.

To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge: to convert our good
words into good deeds, in a new alliance for progress, to assist free men and free
governments in casting off the chains of poverty. But this peaceful revolution of hope cannot
become the prey of hostile powers. Let all our neighbors know that we shall join with them to
oppose aggression or subversion anywhere in the Americas. And let every other power know
that this hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house.

31
 Annex IV
National Level English Language & Drama Competitions - 20….

Provincial Results Sheet - ………………… Province

S.No Individual Event Grade Name of the Student School and Address Place

I hereby certify that the above results are true and correct

……………………………………………………….
Provincial Coordinator (English) Rubber Stamp

Annex V
National Level English Language & Drama Competitions - 20….

Provincial Results Sheet (Drama) - ………………… Province

Category Name of the School and Address Contact No.

Primary

Junior

Senior Dialogue

Senior Poetic

I hereby certify that the above results are true and correct

……………………………………………………….
Provincial Coordinator (English) Rubber Stamp

32