Samoan stage coordinator Melegalenuu Ah Sam.
Photo: RNZ / Mabel Muller
While cultural dance performances are usually the spectacle of the show, some students opt for a much smaller component of the festival.
One of the Samoan stage coordinators Melegalenu'u Ah Sam said the idea of running a speech competition was initiated well over a decade ago and had been going strong since.
"The teachers of the Samoan language were looking at it and thought, 'how can we use the language, besides singing and dancing?' so we decided to give it a go," she said.
"It's all about language. Dancing and singing [are] not complete without the language itself so we need to try and improve the oral communication these kids have."