The Good Shepherd Roman Catholic (R/C) Junior High School in Kumasi, has emerged winner of the 2022 Junior Science and Mathematics (JSM) quiz competition.
The school beat contenders from the Kyere Educational Complex, Kumasi, and Belhaven Montessori in Tamale with 44 points to become champions.
The keen contest saw the schools go through five rounds of questions in chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, ICT, and practical science demonstration.
The concept of the JSM is a brainchild of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) College of Science, as part of a community service programme to nurture talents in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Professor Leonard Amekudzi, Provost of the College of Science, KNUST, speaking to the media on the sidelines of the competition said the JSM was a good programme that called for assistance from all sector players to develop.
He observed that as the world moved into the technological era, it was important to shaping the interests of the younger generation in learning science.
The KNUST, according to him, was looking forward to developing the talents of the quiz contestants, following progress, and developing the children through senior high school up to University.
He explained that this year was the third edition of the competition.
The maiden edition started with about 12 schools in Ashanti and moved to 39 schools in the second edition.
The third edition has been extended to the Greater Accra, Western and Northern Regions.
It was sponsored by the KNUST College of Science, KNUST E-Learning Center, KNUST IDL, Ashanti Goldfields, Dext Technologies Limited, and Study-X.
Prof. Kwasi Preko, Chairman of the JSM Board, noted that education was core to the nation, adding that, what the KNUST had started was laudable and needed the citizenry to embrace.
Mr Abdul Aziz Mohammed, Director, Belhaven Montessori, expressed satisfaction at the performance of the finalist schools, saying it was good STEM education had come to stay.
He appealed to policymakers to make science laboratories available in all schools across the country to ensure that the STEM concept was practical to school children.
Mr Caleb Fugah, Director of Strategy, Dext Technologies Limited, indicated that the idea of making students more producers than consumers must be heightened with practical activities.
He pledged Dext Technologies’ resolve to support such initiatives to be able “to catch them young” and give the necessary leap-frogging opportunities to learn science.
