Primary school students from across NSW will today converge on Sydney as they compete for the titles of best spellers in the state at the 20th edition of the Premier's Spelling Bee.
Some 1,720 students from 880 public schools were involved in the competition ahead of today's finals in Ultimo.
The finals will see 30 students from years 2-4 (junior) and 30 students from years 5-6 (senior) take part.
These students won their school spelling bees before competing in regional finals.
Introduced in 2004 as a fun way for primary school students to enjoy spelling, the annual Premier's Spelling Bee is now celebrating its 20th anniversary.
The competition encourages students to improve their vocabulary and spelling, along with broader literacy skills, in combination with the English K-6 Syllabus.
The junior winner from last year, Saarth Deo, returns in 2023 to compete in the senior final.
This year's youngest competitor is Jay-Hanz Mesa, is in Year 2 at Cabramatta Public School.
Students from outside Sydney are well-represented in the 2023 competition with 22 regional schools taking part, including from Pottsville Beach Public School, Molong Central School and Bulli Public School.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said:
"I'm proud to be supporting the 20th edition of this event in our public schools.
"Literacy is a key plank in our education system.
"To be able to engage students in a fun competition that shines a spotlight on language skills is a win for everyone."
Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:
"It's wonderful to see that the Premier's Spelling Bee has struck such a chord with primary school children across the state.
"Getting our children interested in the lifelong skills of reading and spelling is a wonderful achievement, and it's great to see this competition going strong after 20 years."
