Last Monday was a special day for 12-year-old Theekshitha Karthik, 10-year-old Arielle Wong and 13-year-old Evan Luc-Tran, the three winners of the inaugural competition.
As part of their prize, which also included bundles of books and iPads, they got to sit down with Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Parliament House.
The meeting, which had been rescheduled three times due to COVID-19, saw the schoolchildren grill Mr Morrison on his spelling ability - and catch him out a couple of times in the process.
“It was very, very exciting. Last Sunday we boarded a flight to Canberra, and we had a day in the hotel and then on Monday we met the Prime Minister," Theekshitha, a Year 6 student at Melbourne's Haileybury School, told SBS Malayalam.
"We went to his lounge in Parliament House and it was a very homely. There were lots of news reporters and press. I don’t know if I'll get another opportunity like it.”
After receiving their prizes, the champions took turns challenging Mr Morrison.
The three champions not only just tested Scott Morrison’s spelling knowledge but also grilled him. Source: Supplied/Prime Minister
The first word put to the Prime Minister was 'leukocyte', offered up by Evan, a Year 8 student at Sydney's McDonald College.
Despite the word having grown in use during the last two years of the pandemic, Mr Morrison stumbled over its spelling right from the start.
Of the three words asked by the champions, Mr Morrison could only spell one correctly.
“At the start, he joked about hoping not to have to spell anything. But each of us asked him to spell a word. I asked him to spell 'pariah', which he got correct, but the word 'leukocyte' he got incorrect and the word 'chortle' he also got incorrect,” Theekshitha said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison congratulates Theekshitha Karthik on winning the 2021 Prime Minister's Spelling Bee. Source: (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)
"It was surprising, but you know not everyone can spell every word. It was a bit amusing to learn that the Prime Minister couldn’t spell 'leukocyte', which is a white blood cell. But once I enquired, I realised a lot of people in my school, including teachers, couldn't spell it either."
12-year-old Theekshitha Karthik said visiting Parliament House was an incredible experience. Source: Supplied/Karthik Ganesan
'How do you manage your mental health?'
After the mini spelling contest, Theekshitha surprised Mr Morrison by asking about his mental health.
I feel like a lot of people ask about his economic life. But mental health is just as important as all the politics and all that is happening.
"So I wanted to enquire and make sure that he is feeling OK," she said.
In her meeting with the Prime Minister, she said many people are feeling fed up with all the 'COVID-19 confusion'.
“You, as Prime Minister leading the entire country, must have a lot of stress on your shoulders. So, I wanted to ask how do you manage your mental health?” Theekshitha said.
Mr Morrison, who commented that it was a very interesting question, gave some tips on how he manages his spare time.
"Well, do you know what I do? I do a number of things. A good night's sleep. That’s really important. From time to time, you’ve got to do things which enable you to take a bit of time off. I do too much of that.
"I like to cook for my two girls and Jenny and I cook curries every Saturday night if and when I can… That just gives a bit of time to think about something else, not always focusing on what is in front of you and giving your brain a bit of time to regenerate and do with the challenges the next day," he answered.
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Then Minister for Education and Youth Alan Tudge, who was also present at the event, congratulated the winners.
“Congratulations to every student who took part this year, and I encourage families, teachers and young people to talk to their local school about taking part again in 2022,” hr said.
After her long-awaited meeting with the Prime Minister, Theekshitha said she is 'flying high with excitement'.
She added that winning the competition has brought positive changes to her personal life, too.
"This year I started in a new private school and it helped me feel more like I belong. I have developed several more friendships. Teachers and staff also recognise me. That's a good feeling."
Theekshitha added that she is excited to test her skills in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee next year.
The first Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee was held from 15 March to 27 May in three rounds, at the school, state, and national levels. According to the Prime Minister's , almost 21,000 students from 490 schools across Australia took part in this year’s competition.
