Academic & Youth Fair · General
The Colombo Young Men’s Buddhist Association’s island-wide inter-school competitions (Sri Lanka) 2026: 11 real event types – prose and poetry composition, prose reading and verse singing, oratory, the Buddhist art competition, the Light of Asia recitation contest (Colombo District, Outstation and Piriven divisions), Sinhala and English Buddhist short drama and the Dhamma school quiz – by age and school class, with the English drama judging criteria.
Sets up an island-wide inter-school programme from Sri Lanka – eleven event types from prose and poetry composition to oratory, art, recitation, short drama and a Dhamma school quiz, grouped by age and school class – so a coordinator starts from the printed structure instead of a blank page.
This template models a yearly programme of inter-school competitions for Dhamma schools and ordinary schools across Sri Lanka, built from the organiser’s 2026 circulars. It carries eleven items: Prose Composition (Essay), Poetry Composition (Five Verses), Prose Reading and Verse Singing, Oratory, the Buddhist Art Competition, three Light of Asia Recitation divisions (Colombo District, Outstation and Piriven Students), two short dramas (Jataka Short Drama in Sinhala and Buddhist Short Drama in English) and a Dhamma School Quiz Programme. Most run as a preliminary round, with district rounds for singing and oratory, followed by a final in Colombo.
Age groups follow the printed classes rather than a single ladder. The written and spoken items use Junior and Senior bands (up to 14 or 12-14, and 15-19, with the shared age 15 resolved in the Senior band), the essay adds a Dhamma teachers’ class, and art is entered by school grade, Grades 1-5 and Grades 6-10. The recitation divisions use four age divisions – Basic 9-10, Primary 11-12, Junior 13-16 and Senior 17-20 – with girls and boys separate in the Colombo District division and together in the Outstation division, while Piriven students are grouped by Piriven grade. Dramas are team entries for performers aged 6-18, and the quiz is a team of five pupils aged over 13.
Time limits are set where the circulars print them: three minutes for oratory and thirty minutes for each drama. Only the English drama has a printed marking scheme out of 100 – Script and Interpretation 30, Acting and Characterization 30, Direction and Production 20 and Overall Impact 20 – and the template installs exactly that. The recitation circular names its criteria (accuracy of the text, pronunciation, audibility and clarity, expression and understanding) without marks, and the other notices print no scheme, so those items ship without per-criterion marks and the panel should agree its own before the day.
Placings run first to fifth in most items, with first to tenth for the dramas, and they are installed with no points because none are printed. Prize money, cups, prescribed texts, line counts, themes and entry deadlines are described in the circulars but have no field in the platform, so the coordinator carries them in the registration notes. The 2026 edition is installed; the circulars are reissued each year, so check the ages and dates against the new documents before opening registration.
Where this event comes from
The programme is built from circulars issued for the 2026 season; the organiser reissues them each year.
Where this event is run
Inter-school competitions that combine composition, oratory, singing, art, recitation and drama under one programme are a common format in Sri Lankan Dhamma schools and schools. The same shape – several event types, each with its own age or class bands and a preliminary round feeding a final – suits school festivals and youth cultural programmes elsewhere.
- Sri Lanka
Key facts
- Eleven items: five composition, singing, oratory and art items, three recitation divisions, two short dramas and a quiz
- Age bands follow the printed classes: Junior and Senior, school grades for art, four recitation divisions and a teachers’ class
- Oratory is capped at 3 minutes; each drama at 30 minutes
- Only the English drama carries printed criteria: Script 30, Acting 30, Direction 20, Overall Impact 20
- Placings run first to fifth (first to tenth for dramas) with no points; entry fees are 0
- Prizes, set texts, themes and round structure are not modelled and need registration notes
- Age groups
- 15
- Competition items
- 11
- Competitions
- 26
- Grade bands
- 0
- Rank awards
- 10
Age groups
Every candidate is placed into one of these groups by age, and competitions are run per group.
14 & Under
Candidates aged 3 to 14 compete in this group
12-14 Only
Candidates aged 12 to 14 compete in this group
15-19 Only
Candidates aged 15 to 19 compete in this group
12-19 Only
Candidates aged 12 to 19 compete in this group
Dhamma Teachers
Candidates aged 3 to 120 compete in this group
Grade 1-5
Candidates aged 5 to 10 compete in this group
Grade 6-10
Candidates aged 11 to 16 compete in this group
Basic 9-10
Candidates aged 9 to 10 compete in this group
Primary 11-12
Candidates aged 11 to 12 compete in this group
Junior 13-16
Candidates aged 13 to 16 compete in this group
Senior 17-20
Candidates aged 17 to 20 compete in this group
Piriven Gr 1-3
Candidates aged 3 to 120 compete in this group
Piriven Gr 4-5
Candidates aged 3 to 120 compete in this group
Team 6-18
Candidates aged 6 to 18 compete in this group
Team 13 & Over
Candidates aged 13 to 120 compete in this group
Competition items
The events themselves — each with the category it belongs to and how judges score it.
Prose Composition (Essay)
Poetry Composition (Five Verses)
Prose Reading and Verse Singing
Oratory
Buddhist Art Competition
Light of Asia Recitation - Colombo District
Light of Asia Recitation - Outstation
Light of Asia Recitation - Piriven Students
Jataka Short Drama
Buddhist Short Drama
Dhamma School Quiz Programme
Competitions by group
The full schedule matrix, sectioned by age group then category — which item runs for whom, and for how long.
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 & Under | |||||
| Creative Writing | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Prose Composition (Essay) | Individual | — | Sinhala | 100 | — |
| 12-14 Only | |||||
| Literary | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Prose Reading and Verse Singing | Individual | — | Sinhala | 100 | — |
| Oral | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Oratory | Individual | — | Sinhala | 100 | 3 min |
| 15-19 Only | |||||
| Creative Writing | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Prose Composition (Essay) | Individual | — | Sinhala | 100 | — |
| Literary | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Prose Reading and Verse Singing | Individual | — | Sinhala | 100 | — |
| Oral | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Oratory | Individual | — | Sinhala | 100 | 3 min |
| 12-19 Only | |||||
| Creative Writing | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Poetry Composition (Five Verses) | Individual | — | Sinhala | 100 | — |
| Dhamma Teachers | |||||
| Creative Writing | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Prose Composition (Essay) | Individual | — | Sinhala | 100 | — |
| Grade 1-5 | |||||
| Art | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Buddhist Art Competition | Individual | — | — | 100 | — |
| Grade 6-10 | |||||
| Art | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Buddhist Art Competition | Individual | — | — | 100 | — |
| Basic 9-10 | |||||
| Oral | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Colombo District | Individual | Female | English | 100 | — |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Colombo District | Individual | Male | English | 100 | — |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Outstation | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Primary 11-12 | |||||
| Oral | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Colombo District | Individual | Female | English | 100 | — |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Colombo District | Individual | Male | English | 100 | — |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Outstation | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Junior 13-16 | |||||
| Oral | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Colombo District | Individual | Female | English | 100 | — |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Colombo District | Individual | Male | English | 100 | — |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Outstation | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Senior 17-20 | |||||
| Oral | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Colombo District | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Outstation | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Piriven Gr 1-3 | |||||
| Oral | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Piriven Students | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Piriven Gr 4-5 | |||||
| Oral | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Light of Asia Recitation - Piriven Students | Individual | — | English | 100 | — |
| Team 6-18 | |||||
| Drama | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Jataka Short Drama | Team | — | Sinhala | 100 | 30 min |
| Buddhist Short Drama | Team | — | English | 100 | 30 min |
| Team 13 & Over | |||||
| Literary | |||||
| Item | Type | Gender | Language | Max score | Time limit |
| Dhamma School Quiz Programme | Team | — | Sinhala | 100 | — |
Grades and ranks
How scores turn into grade bands, and how many points each placing is worth.
| Grade | For | Condition | Score | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | For | Points |
|---|---|---|
| First | 0 | |
| Second | 0 | |
| Third | 0 | |
| Fourth | 0 | |
| Fifth | 0 | |
| Sixth | 0 | |
| Seventh | 0 | |
| Eighth | 0 | |
| Ninth | 0 | |
| Tenth | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I change this template after installing it?
Yes — installing it creates a fully configured, live event, not a locked package. Every age group, competition item, rule and scoring setting can be edited afterwards to match exactly what your event actually needs.
Do I need technical knowledge to set this up?
No. Installing a template does the setup work for you; you only need to review the details (dates, unit or house names) and open registration.
Want the fuller picture first? See our guide to Judge scoring and tabulation software.
Install this template in eTalenter
Everything above is installed as a live, editable event in one step — age groups, items, rules and scoring. Start your own below.
Start a Colombo YMBA Inter-School Competitions event
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