Ugh, hate making speeches before the entire class

Me too...
It feels kind of stupid to base a student's marks not on his understanding of a topic but his ability to speak infront of a group but there you go......
That is some serious bs right there, no question. It has nothing to do with understanding the topic, it has only to do with whether or not you feel comfortable being put on display. That�s it, and grade should not be affected at all by speeches/verbal presentations.