NSMQ lacks practicality improve it – EduWatch to Primetime

Africa Education Watch (EduWatch) after Primetime ended the 2022 edition of the National Science and Mathematics Quiz (NSMQ) on October 26, 2022, has called on the producer of the competition to make the contest more practical.

In a social media post sighted by AcademicWeek, Executive Director for the Watch, Kofi Asare said despite the NSMQ hype, the competition lacks adequate practicality proposing that it has to be 100% applied assessment competition.

“NSMQ has come far and must improve. Apart from lacking adequate practicality, it is based on too much ‘recall’ with very little applied assessment, which is the bane of our assessment system. We need a 100% applied assessment competition,” he stated.

Asare further suggested that “we can learn from the World Skills Competition, where one is given a practical problem to provide a practical solution to in up to 8 hours. Marks are then awarded for both the process and outcomes.”

The 2022 National Science and Maths Quiz ended on October 26, with Presbyterian Boys Secondary School (Presec) – Legon being the ultimate winner. Prempeh College secured the second position and Adisadel College placed third.

The seven-time winner of the competition after five rounds of the national contest secured a maximum of 50 points. Kumasi-based Prempeh College had 41 and Central region-based Adisadel College with a minimum of 32 points.

For winning the 2022 Science and Mathematics Quiz, Presbyterian Boys Secondary School was awarded GH¢70,000. An amount of GH¢C30,000 will go to the school, GH¢20,000 to contestants and GH¢20,000 also to teachers.

With GH¢50,000 for the second prize, Prempeh College, the first runner-up school of the 2022 NSMQ received GH¢20,000, GH¢15,000 for contestants and also GH¢15,000 for teachers of the second-placed Senior High School.

For being the second runner-up of the National Science and Mathematics Quiz, the Central region-based Adisadel College got GH¢15,000 with an amount of GH¢10,000 going to prospective contestants and teachers each.

All six semifinalists who could not progress to the grand finale of the 2022 NSMQ received a prize package of GH¢8,000 to be shared as follows; GH¢3,000 (school), GH¢2,500 (contestants) and GH¢ 2,500 (teachers).

The 2022 National Science & Maths Quiz was produced by Primetime Limited and sponsored by the Ghana Education Service (GES) in partnership with Absa Ghana and supported by GOIL.

Other proud partners of the national competition are Prudential Life Insurance, AirtelTigo, Dano Milk, Newmont, GNPC, Accra College of Medicine, Academic City University College, YFM and Studio HD.