Ghana National Science and Maths Quiz

Last updated
Ghana National Science and Maths Quiz
Ghana National Science and Maths Quiz.png
Also known asNational Science and Maths Quiz
Genre Quiz show
Presented by Elsie Effah Kaufmann
Country of originGhana
Original languageEnglish
Original release
Network
Release1993 (1993) –
present (present)

The National Science and Maths Quiz is an annual science and mathematics content-based national level quiz competition for senior high schools in Ghana. The yearly competition is been produced by Primetime Limited, an education-interest advertising and public relations agency, since 1993. [1]

Contents

The objective of the National Science & Maths Quiz is to promote the study of the sciences and mathematics, help students develop quick thinking and a probing and scientific mind about the everyday world around them, while fostering healthy academic rivalry among senior high schools.

The quiz, originally sponsored by Unilever'Brilliant Soap", is popularly referred to as “Brilla” by many who have gone through the secondary school system and it is one of the few academic events that brings all of Ghana's secondary schools together. [2] [3] The National Science and Maths Quiz is the longest running educational programme on Ghanaian television. It is broadcast on GTV during the quiz season every Saturday at 11am and Wednesdays at 4pm. Today, it is being shown on JOY News and its social media platforms. [4]

History

The idea for the production of a quiz programme aimed at encouraging the study of the sciences and mathematics was not mooted at a national science fair or conference. It happened on the tennis court of the University of Ghana, Legon in 1993. Dr.Kwaku Mensa-Bonsu, then managing director of Primetime, was on the court to play a tennis game with his playmates, the late Professors Marian Ewurama Addy and Ebenezer Kweku Awotwe. Dr. Mensa-Bonsu was curious as to why birds could stand on a live electric wire without getting electrocuted, but human beings could not do same. [5] From Awotwe's explanation, Mensa-Bonsu got the idea of putting together a quiz programme on science and mathematics.

When the quiz started, it involved only 32 schools across the country, and these were divided into the Northern Sector and Southern Sector, with 16 schools per sector. Winners in both sectors were then brought to Accra for the national championship. Prempeh College won the maiden edition.

In 1997, the geographical sector system was abandoned, and two northern sector schools (from the old format), Opoku Ware School and Prempeh College made it to the finals where Opoku Ware School won its first trophy.

In 1998, the tournament became known as the National Science & Maths Quiz, when the quiz show lost its original sponsorship from Brilliant Soap. Subsequently, in 2012, the Ghana Education Service, through the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) took up the sponsorship of the programme. In terms of participation, beginning in 2000, the number of schools was increased to 40. The number of participating schools again, was increased in 2013 to 81, although 66 ultimately showed up for the competition. Thus, the participation format was changed to a three-team contest instead of the two-team contest which had characterized the competition since its inception in 1993. To give the programme a national character, the quiz has since 2014 involved 135 schools from all parts of Ghana. Since 2014, 108 schools are selected from regional and zonal competitions and qualifiers to join 27 seeded schools (quarter-finalists from the previous year's competition) at the National Championships. The NSMQ regions are Greater Accra, Central, Eastern and Ashanti Regions while the zones are Bono-Ahafo, Western, Volta-Oti and Northern Zones.

The first quiz mistress was the late Professor Marian Ewurama Addy, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Ghana, Legon. She was quiz-mistress from 1993 till 2000. “When in 1993/94, during the planning of a televised quiz programme on Science, I was asked to be the Quiz Mistress, I could not say No”, she wrote in her memoir, Rewards: An Autobiography. “I was interested in females becoming scientists and this was an opportunity to invite the young ones to become scientists…I thought that this was a most effective way of being a role model,” she added. In recognition of her contributions to promoting the study of Science and Mathematics among girls through the NSMQ, Prof. Addy was named the Marketing Woman of the Year by the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana in 1995.

Eureka Emefa Adomako, a botanist at the University of Ghana, Legon, took over as quiz-mistress from 2001 to 2005, having been recommended by Prof. Addy. Dr. Adomako took charge of the programme until she had to leave for postgraduate studies. Before leaving, just as Prof. Addy recommended her as quiz mistress, Dr. Adomako recommended that Prof. Kaufmann take over as quiz mistress.

In 2006, Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann, the founding Head of the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Ghana, Legon, took over as quiz mistress. [6] [7] Over the years, she has succeeded in bringing her own style to the programme, occasionally injecting some humour into an otherwise formal programme. As the chairperson of the moderation team, Prof. Kaufmann is supported by a team of consultants made up of Prof. W. A. Asomaning, Dr. Ebenezer Owusu, Dr. Amos Kuditcher and Dr. Douglas Adu-Gyamfi, all of the University of Ghana, Legon. At the preliminary stages, the quiz is moderated by Drs. Anita Oppong-Quaicoe, [1] Thelma Ohene-Agyei [3] and Gladys Odey Schwinger.

Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School has been the most successful school in the quiz so far, having made twelve appearances at the finals, including five consecutive grand finales. The school has won the competition eight times, a record that includes back-to-back wins on two occasions. Achimota School is the only coeducational school to have won the competition. No all-girls' school has ever won the competition. Since its inception, only 11 schools have won the competition.

In 2021, Primetime Limited launched the STEM Festival comprising Mentorship Sessions and the Sci-Tech Fair. [8] The Sci-Tech Fair component includes a Sci-Tech Innovation Challenge and an Exhibition open to Senior High Schools, Basic and Junior High Schools, Tech firms and start-ups. [9]

List of Hosts and Quiz Mistresses

Quiz Structure

Three schools compete in each contest and each school is represented by two contestants. The current quiz mistress is Dr. Elsie Effah Kaufmann. Presently, every contest is composed of five rounds with the following rules:

List of Past Winners and Finalists

[2] [10]

YearWinners1st Runner-up2nd Runner-up
1994 Prempeh College Achimota School
1995 Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School Opoku Ware School
1996 Prempeh College Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School
1997 Opoku Ware School Prempeh College
1998 Achimota School St. Peter's Senior High School
1999 Mfantsipim School Wesley Girls' High School
2000 St. Peter's Senior High School Mfantsipim School
2001 Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary Ghana Secondary Technical School
2002 Opoku Ware School St. Peter's Senior High School
2003 Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School Opoku Ware School
2004 Achimota School St. Peter's Senior High School
2005 St. Peter's Senior High School Opoku Ware School
2006 Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School St. Peter's Senior High School
2007 St. Augustine's College Kumasi Anglican Senior High School
2008 Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School Opoku Ware School
2009 Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School Achimota School
2010No competition held
2011No competition held
2012 Ghana Secondary Technical School St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary
2013 St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School Presbyterian Boys' Secondary SchoolMfantsiman Girls' Senior High School
2014 Mfantsipim School Ghana Secondary Technical SchoolSt. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary
2015 Prempeh College Adisadel CollegeUniversity Practice Senior High School
2016 Adisadel College Opoku Ware SchoolMfantsipim School
2017 Prempeh College St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High SchoolAdisadel College
2018 St. Peter's Senior High School West Africa Senior High SchoolAdisadel College
2019 St. Augustine's College Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary SchoolSt. Peter's Senior High School
2020 Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School Adisadel CollegeOpoku Ware School
2021 Prempeh College Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary SchoolKeta Senior High Technical School
2022 Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School Prempeh CollegeAdisadel College
2023 Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School Achimota SchoolOpoku Ware School
2024 Mfantsipim School St. Augustine's CollegeKeta Senior High Technical School

Ranking

Here is the league of finalists at the National Science and Math Quiz.

RankSchoolWins1st Runner-up2nd Runner-upTotal finalsYears wonYears 1st runner-upYears 2nd runner-upWin Rate (%)
1 Presbyterian Boys' Secondary School 840121995, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2020, 2022, 20231996, 2013, 2019, 2021–67%
2 Prempeh College 52071994, 1996, 2015, 2017, 20211997, 2022–71%
3 St. Peter's Senior High School 34182000, 2005, 20181998, 2002, 2004, 2006201938%
4 Mfantsipim School 31151999, 2014, 20242000201660%
5 Opoku Ware School 25291997, 20021995, 2003, 2005, 2008, 20162020, 202322%
6 Achimota School 23051998, 20041994, 2009, 2023–40%
7 St. Augustine's College 21032007, 20192024–67%
8 Adisadel College 123620162015, 20202017, 2018, 202217%
9 Ghana Secondary Technical School 120320122001, 2014–33%
10 St. Thomas Aquinas Senior High School 110220132017–50%
11 Pope John Senior High School and Minor Seminary 10012001––100%
12 St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary 0112–201220140%
13 West Africa Senior High School 0101–2018–0%
14 Kumasi Anglican Senior High School 0101–2007–0%
15 Wesley Girls' High School 0101–1999–0%
16 Keta Senior High Technical School 0022––2021, 20240%
17 University Practice Senior High School 0011––20150%
18 Mfantsiman Girls' Senior High School 0011––20130%

Awards

See also

List of senior secondary schools in Ghana

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 "Inside Ghana's wild and raucous quiz show". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2018-07-22. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
  2. 1 2 "Winners Of The National Science and Maths Quiz From 1994 – 2019". afrosages.com. 12 July 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-11-06. Retrieved 2019-11-06.
  3. 1 2 "National Science & Maths Quiz". seniorhighub.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-09. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
  4. ↑ "Example Video Title". YouTube. Retrieved 2024-10-22.
  5. ↑ "About". NSMQ. 2016-04-26. Archived from the original on 2021-11-29. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
  6. ↑ "Elsie A. B. Effah Kaufmann (BSE MSE PhD (Pennsylvania)) | Department of Biomedical Engineering". ug education ghana. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  7. ↑ "Elsie Effah Kaufmann". Archived from the original on 2021-11-29.
  8. ↑ "Primetime Limited set to launch STEM Festival - MyJoyOnline.com". myjoyonline. 14 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  9. ↑ "Obuasi SHTS wins maiden Sci-Tech Innovation Challenge". NSMQ. Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  10. ↑ "Past Winners - NSMQ". Archived from the original on 2017-06-30. Retrieved 2017-06-26.
  11. ↑ "CIMG Awards: National Science and Maths Quiz is TV Programme of the Year 2017". ghanaweb. 29 September 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  12. ↑ "McDan Chief Executive Officer emerges CIMG Marketing Man of the Year". ghanaweb. 2 October 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-10-06. Retrieved 2018-10-05.
  13. ↑ "NSMQ wins CIMG TV Programme of the Year 2022 - MyJoyOnline.com". myjoyonline. 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  14. ↑ "Double CIMG Honours Illuminate NSMQ's 30th Anniversary Festivities". NSMQ Ghana. 2023-10-02. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
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