Last Updated on October 18, 2026, 2:08 PM AST by Anthony Morris
SKI Academy has emerged as the overall winner in the 2026 Independence 43 Primary Schools’ Elocution Competition Finals. The competition was hosted as a part of the country’s Independence Day Celebration as St. Kitts and Nevis entered the 43rd year of Nationhood.
The competition was hosted on Thursday, October 8, at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Auditorium. The competition featured teams from several schools across the island including Seventh Day Adventist Primary, Connor-Gumbs Primary School, Tyrrel-Williams Primary School.
The event was hosted by the Ministry of Education and the results were declared shortly afterwards by the SKN Education Media Unit EMU. According to the EMU, SKI International Academy secured 45.67 points and was able to very narrowly beat Seventh Day Adventist Primary School, which secured second place with 45.41 points. According to the organisation, Halliday-Smith Primary School placed third with 41.75 points.
The winners were presented with trophies from the organisation in recognition of their outstanding performances. The other schools who participated in the event included, Dr. William Connor Primary School, Connor-Gumbs Primary School, Violet Petty Primary School, Saddlers Primary School, and Tyrrel-Williams Primary School.
The event was hosted to encourage students to participate in activities for nurturing communication skills and self-confidence from an early age. The competition also encouraged participants to express their ideas, speak before an audience, and appreciate the power of the spoken word.
The event was hosted with the aim of paying tribute to the late Elston “King Ellie Matt” Nero, who passed away earlier in the year.
The 2026 Independence Primary Schools’ Elocution Competition was guided by the 43rd Independence Day theme, “One People, One Vision, Endless Possibility: Independence 43”.
Each participant delivered an excerpt from the musical catalogue of the late Elston “King Ellie Matt” Nero, entitled “The Same.”
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
