This year’s National Science and Maths
Quiz (NSMQ) will see 144 senior high schools (SHSs) battling for honours and
bragging rights over the sciences.
The
number represents an increase over last year's 135 SHSs that took part in the
competition.
The
increase follows the inclusion of nine schools, which although did not win
their respective regional contests but finished the contest with 40 points or
better.
The nine schools are the Achimota
School, Mankranso SHS, Ofori Panin SHS, Osei Kyeretwie SHS, T.I. AMASS, Kumasi,
SDA SHS, Bekwai, St Monica's SHS, Tema SHS and the Winneba SHS.
They
will, thus, join the 108 regional qualifiers for the preliminary stage for the
national championship after which they will be joined by 27 seeded schools at
the one-eighth stage for the contest which will be held for the second
successive time in Kumasi from October 10 to 26, 2022.
This
year's regional championship of the NSMQ, which was held from April 25 to May
28, involved 499 schools across the country.
Balloting was also held for the
contest, which had the Northern School of Business, the Sunyani SHS and the
Nalerigu SHS slugging it out in the first contest.
Launch
At
the launch of the event in Accra yesterday, the Technical Adviser at the
Ministry of Education, Sheila Naa Boamah, expressed the belief that if girls
were given the same level of preparation and support that boys got for such
contests, there would be a lot more balanced contestants.
"The
increase in female participation will not only be good for the competition, but
will also engender the healthy competition among schools that already take
place anytime these competitions are ongoing,” she said.
Ms
Boamah wished the contesting schools the best of luck and expressed the hope
that girls and lesser known schools would make an impact.
Potential
The
Director of Schools at the Ghana Education Service, Patty Assan, said the
global potential for the advancement in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics (STEM) was high as it had contributed immensely to the growth of
industries such as the energy, health and information technology, which had
made life easy, safe and comfortable for preparing today's learner to become
the innovators of tomorrow.
She
said it began with a curriculum that promoted STEM education.
Format
The Managing Director of Primetime
Ghana Limited, organiser of the event, Nana Akua Ankomah-Asare, said the
contest would return to its former format where all 108 schools that made it to
the national championship through the regional qualifiers would compete at the
preliminary stage.
However,
she said the established COVID-19 protocols, including the wearing of nose
masks and disinfection of contestants working spaces would be observed.
"I
would like to commend the heads of schools and the teachers for the enormous
effort they have put into preparing the students for the competition, year in
year out.
"We appreciate all the personal
sacrifices you have put in just to see these students thrive and to ensure
their success in this competition," Nana Ankomah-Asare said.
Prizes
The
winning school will take home GH¢30,000, the second-placed school will receive
GH¢20,000 with the third-placed school, receiving GH¢15,000.
The
six semi-finalists that do not progress to the final would receive a package of
GH¢8,000.
There
are also cash prizes from Absa Bank, Prudential Life, Airtel Tigo, Academic
City University College, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Ghana Oil
(GOIL) and the Accra College of Medicine, among others.
Source: Graphic Online