What are some of the best speeches to say in a school assembly?

Hi Devanshi, It was when Quora notified me that you are following this question; I turned my attention to it. I then turned my attention to your profile and wished you had filled it though I knew from your photo that you are a young person most likely a school student monitor.

There are a variety of subjects on which you can talk as suggested by few. They can range from subjects that inspire to subjects that deal with new discoveries to subjects on current affairs to subjects that help to instill knowledge, etc.,etc. A school is a place that imparts knowledge, but more than that it has an aim and that aim is to help the students to be a complete person who has knowledge, talent and skills on one side and on the other to provide clear understanding as to how and where that knowledge is applied for achieving true success in life. For example, if talent and knowledge is used to destroy, cheat, steal, commit perjury, sedition or hoodwink, the education is not complete. What we are talking is the ‘Character building part of Education’ and if I were you, I would take the subjects that deal with this part of education to address the assembly as the former part is laboriously dealt with in every school every day by teachers.

You may select a theme, something like: “Importance of being good in our life” and start speaking on this theme every day. You may choose to do this with the help of stories and there are many in Mahabharata,Panchatantra, Bible or in Puranas. Each story must have a message in the end and that message should encourage your friends in the school to become good human beings. The stories may revolve around showing kindness, compassion, consideration, speaking truth, how greed can destroy one, harmony, determination, hard work, perseverance, help, how good deed can result in good results and many more of such themes. In an assembly all you get is just 6/7 minutes maximum and therefore you need to structure your talk, write it down in advance, and practice at home and then deliver without hitch in a smooth fashion. Talk with passion, humility, sincerity and honesty. In the end you declare that you are going to practice the lesson of the story and call up on the other students too to practice it in their life.

You may even take this idea to your class teacher so that in case every assembly is addressed by different students, the theme mentioned above can still continue regularly and it can become your School’s Theme. You can even seek your teacher’s help to form a team of students who would be speaking in the assembly so that practice sessions and selection of stories can be done in advance. If this appeals you, I can continue to help you on Quora as the time goes by to frame a “Character Building Framework” that can run regularly in the school assembly!

Well, we were talking of communicating through stories and it reminded me of a story that has been lying in my archives. It goes like this: One day a class teacher asked her students to write on a piece of paper the name of the person whom they disliked most. As the students got busy, the teacher observed one student, Raju sitting idle without writing and she decided to ask why he is not writing the name of the person he disliked most. The student replied, “Ma’am when I don’t dislike anybody, whose name would I write?” By the time the other students finished writing and the teacher started checking the names. She checked all the names and to her surprise could not find the name of the student, Raju, who abstained from writing; in any of the chits she checked! Moral: If you are good to others, they would respond in the same manner…..if you refrain from disliking others, in all probability, none would dislike you!

C Devidasan

Post script: Quora today morning informed me that more than 1.17 lakh people viewed my above answer to the question a young girl called Devanshi asked me and I thought I should reproduce her response here.

Hi Sir.

I must have followed this question long back. Though a surprise and such a thorough answer on the topic inspired me a lot. Its great how you have focused on values more than information. Because it is so true that in schools nowadays, like you mentioned in your answer Education remains incomplete. 

 I would love to tell you that I am a college going student now still your advice goes on to enlighten not just about a speech in a school assembly but also speeches made in any student gathering. 

It was a real eye opener on the way we impart education in both schools and colleges. And yes ofcourse, the short story you go on to tell is a very true example on how we go on create negative and hateful vibes. I've witnessed this a lot at school as well as now in college. Your words definitely resonate with what should really be preached all around nowadays. 

Thank you so much Sir.

Devanshi

Hi Devanshi,

Good to hear from you that you have liked the reply. Great to see that you have passed out of school and you are now a college student.

It is important that our country requires "Professionals with Character" with exemplary domain knowledge on one side and on the other fine character. Do continue your journey and win the battle of life.

Affectionately