For the first time in 5 years, Eli International School becomes the first private school to win the finals of the Ho West District, Basic Schools’ Annual Quiz Competition (BaSAQ-C), in an entertaining challenge against three other schools, in front of about seven hundred audience, gathered in the Tsito Awudome EP Church Parish.
The competition is an initiative of the Member of Parliament for the Ho West Constituency, Kwasi Bedzrah, in collaboration with the Ho West District Directorate of Ghana Education Service, instituted in January 2015, as a means of motivating basic school students.
Eli International School’s first attempt in 2018 was not a successful one but they came back strongly this year with an overwhelming performance in each of the rounds, to win the ultimate on Tuesday, becoming the first private school to have won it.
Each of the individual participants and the schools was awarded fantastic prizes, including a bicycle each for all twelve participating pupils, who were drawn from the four schools.
The headmistress of Eli International School, Miss Catherine Sedinam Amoaku, in a joyous mood noted that, after their first attempt in the competition, they realized that there was the need to put in more work towards the 2019 edition, and that was exactly what they did to win the ultimate prizes.
She added that, it is her hope that the school returns next year to win it again thus, to break the convention of which previous winners don’t make much progress in the subsequent finals.
Commenting on the impact of the competition on the students and the schools, the Public Relations Officer for the Ho West District Directorate of Ghana Education Service, Mr. Frank Hukporti, disclosed that the competition has impacted a lot on BECE results of the participants especially, in the past three years.
“…the impact of BaSAQ-C, is enormous, if you study our BECE results critically for the past three years, if you look at the best ten BECE candidates, you will realize that they were either semi-finalist or finalists of BaSAQ-C. So it’s obvious that this has actually thrown a spirit of competition among the students and also the school.”
“That spirit of competition actually reflects in our academic performances and the BECE the results. Last year, the best candidate was a 2017 discovery of the year, who led his team (Anfoeta Kyebi), to win the 2018 finals. So we are actually seeing the impact. There is a direct link between the results and the competition”.
The Ho West MP, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, who sat throughout the event said, the initiative was borne out of his desire to ensure quality teaching and learning in his constituency, and the quiz competition, is just a way of motivating the students, towards achieving their educational goals.
A contestant receiving her prize
“When I came, as part of my manifesto, is to look at education holistically, not only to provide infrastructure but also the quality of learning and teaching this program is just one segment. I have provided circuit supervisors with motorcycles for their work. When it comes to infrastructure, we provided a number of school buildings across the constituency. But I’ve noticed that the students themselves need to be motivated, that’s the basic reason for this initiative”.
“Today, it has paid off. The whole of Volta region, we came second in the BECE performance ranking. The best candidate from the Volta, was one of the contestants who led his school to win BaSAQ-C and today, he’s been honoured by the president as one of the best candidates from the Volta region. The results alone for Ho West from 38% to 68% and we are going hopefully, next three years, we will get a hundred percent record”.
The MP assured that though he instituted the initiative, he will make sure the competition lives on even if he’s no longer in Parliament. He, therefore, appealed to other stakeholders and parents to support the sustainability of the program through donations.
In attendance were Mr. Joseph Tei Amesimeku, the District Director of Education and Torgbui Adzesi Dzaga IV of Avenui, (Acting President of Awudome Traditional Council), who chaired the event.
Ho West MP, Mr. Bedzrah in a pose with the contestants
Schools/Participants and their awards
3rd Runner-Up (Tsito Old JHS)
1 brand new Levono laptop and 10 exercise books for the school.
A certificate of excellence and 1bicycle for each of the individual students, a dictionary, mathematical set and 5 of MP’s branded exercise books.
2nd Runners-Up (Akome Gbogame EP)
A brand new Levono laptop and 20 exercise books for the school.
A certificate of excellence and 1 bicycle for each of the individual students, a dictionary, mathematical set and 6 of MP’s branded exercise books.
1st Runner-Up (Honuta Aflakpe)
3 bicycles, 1brand new Levono laptop, 1 brand new HP Laser Jet printer, 30 exercise books fit the school.
A certificate of excellence and 1 bicycle for each of the individual students, a dictionary, mathematical set and 8 of MP’s branded exercise books.
Winner (Eli Int. Sch.)
A trophy, 1brand new Levono laptop, 1 brand new Laser Jet printer, 40 exercise books for the school.
A certificate of excellence and 1 bicycle for each of the individual students, a dictionary, mathematical set and 10 of MP’s branded exercise books.
By: Abdul-Iddrisu Faisel/awakenewsonline.com