THE efforts of a Cardross school pupil and his classmate have been highly praised as they reached the national semi-final of a prestigious public speaking competition.

Paul Losekoot, who lives in the village, and Aidan Lynn, from Dumbarton, represented their school in the penultimate stage of the contest organised by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Paul and Aidan, both S3 pupils at Our Lady and St Patrick's High School in Dumbarton, spoke at the Scottish Prosecution College in Glasgow on the subject of 'The best way to protest is to march'.

Proud classmates, teachers and parents watched as the duo pitted their wits against Johanna Peters and Jessica Gow, who are both pupils at the Glasgow Gaelic School.

And though the OLSP pair were narrowly beaten by their opponents, teacher Alanna McVean spoke of her pride in their efforts.

Ms McVean, the acting head of pastoral care in the school's English department, and one of three teachers involved with the school's debating group, said: “Paul and Aidan's commitment and dedication has been paramount. They have their own ideas and opinions, and they're very good at giving one another feedback.

“One of their real strengths is the resources they have to draw on – they couldn't do it without their parents, and both Paul and Aidan have fantastic parents.

“I'm also very fortunate to teach a number of members of the group, and it's been a privilaege to watch them develop the way they have.

“They're both members of the school's public speaking group, which has 20 members.

“Other members of the group have taken part in this competition in the past, and they all work closely together to share their expertise.”

The Crown Office competition – which saw Paul and Aidan triumph in the West Dunbartonshire heat, hosted by OLSP, and then win through in the North Strathclyde semi-final, at Dumbarton Sheriff Court, and then the North Strathclyde final in Paisley – is just one of several contests in which members of the group take part each year.

Ms McVean added: “We have such a spread of pupils in the group. We just need more competitions.

“The wider opportunities on offer can be so valuable for the pupils in the group. They learn how to juggle their commitments in the group with their school work, they gain confidence in themselves and they develop personal and practical skills which could be crucial for their careers.

“The group is about being as inclusive and as supportive to each other as possible, and as far as Paul and Aidan are concerned, I couldn't be prouder of them.”

Anthony McGeehan, the head of the judging panel and the Crown Office's procurator fiscal for policy and engagement, praised Paul and Aidan for their use of powerful language, rhetorical questions, humous and relevant examples to illustrate their points, as well as the content of their speeches and their belief in their arguments.

But, admitting it was “a very difficult decision”, Mr McGeehan said he and his fellow judges – Gavin Anderson, the assistant head of business management (local court) with the Crown Office, and Sheriff Danny Kelly – had chosen the Glasgow Gaelic School pair as the winners.

Despite their disappointment, both Paul and Aidan said they had learned enormously from their experience, with Aidan saying the content of their speeches had improved with each round and that each judging panel had provided very useful feedback.

Paul added: “I never used to be confident with the idea of public speaking or even going up in front of a class. But I've learned I can do that now, and I can do it with confidence.”