Every year, 14 regions compete in the Ngā Manu Kōrero National Secondary School's Speech competition.
Now nearing its 50th year, it begs the question, what are the benefits and what happens to the winners?
Competitors must first win their regionals to qualify for nationals.
The competition is made up of four sections: Pei Te Hurinui for Senior Māori, Korimako for Senior English, Rāwhiti Ihaka for Junior Māori and Sir Turi Carroll for Junior English.
Five topics are given to speakers in each section.
12 minutes is allocated to Māori speakers and 6 minutes for English speakers. While this might seem like a short amount of time, preparation is another story.
Students take two to six months to prepare themselves to take the stage.
Proof that this competition is the pathway to the future for the country's Māori students.
