Eisteddfod's eloquent young speakers get the gong for suggesting school hours and holidays cut shorter

The Dubbo Eisteddfod's speech and drama program began on Wednesday.

Some Dubbo students spoke their young minds out on a wide range of topics, including how they only wanted four hours of school a day and to make summer school holidays shorter so they don't get bored.

They clearly stated their understanding of having pets such as dogs, cats and cockatoos in their lives, and stocking the school's canteen with a range of French pastries and sushi. But preferring to start school later at 10am and finishing at 2pm compared to the premier's 7am suggestion, and shorter summer holidays were simply popular.

Explaining succinctly, in their own words, why they believe in shorter school hours, as well as the joy they feel for having a cockatoo as a pet, and spending only four weeks of summer holidays, five Macquarie Anglican Grammar School students took the top Eisteddfod prizes.

"It's unfair to stay at school for too long, it's crazy," Archie Measley said. "If kids stay a longer time with their family they get to play together more and go to parks and beach, so cut down school hours now."

Elijah Phillips took the same line because he believes starting school later at 10 am gives students enough time to get dressed and eat a healthy breakfast because "breakfast is the most important meal of the day".

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Molly Lineham believes spending only four weeks of summer holiday and getting back to school early works better for children so they "don't get bored and lonely".

Their audience - parents and teachers - seemed to agree with the students' bright ideas, applauding them at the end of their extemporaneous speeches that adjudicator Robyn Christmas described as "terrific, confident and well-researched ideas".