National Junior Challenge Launched in Accra

The Ghana Education Service (GES) in collaboration with the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition (GNECC) has launched the National Junior Challenge (NJC).

The NJC is the maiden edition of a quiz contest which seeks to improve teaching and learning at the basic education level.

The quiz contest is expected to start by January 2019 in the Greater Accra Region with 24 schools.

The competition will, later, be replicated across other regions, according to the organisers.

The subjects earmarked for the competition include Social studies, English, Integrated Science and Mathematics.

The Board Chairman for the NJC, Mr Samuel Ofori-Agyei urged the organisers to add Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to the subject areas slated for the competition since the world was now being driven by technology.

Wisdom Quarme-Doe, the brain behind the NJC initiative, explained that the contest was to emulate the National Science and Maths Quiz which takes place at the Senior High School level.

“We realised there was nothing academic-related for pupils at the Junior High Level through which pupils can learn hence I had the motivation to start the NJC,” he noted.

“The winning school will be given GHC 10,000, a participatory certificate, souvenirs from our sponsors and the organisers are going to help the three contestants from each school to SHSs of their choice. We are also hoping to give each of the contestants a laptop to learn and also attract them to another edition of the contest,” he said of the rewards for winners.

Renowned broadcaster, Kafui Dey, who is expected to be the quiz master expressed his excitement and gratitude to the organisers for his selection.

“I believe the organisers took inspiration from my hosting of the “who wants to be rich contest” in selecting me as the quizmaster and I hope to meet the expectations of the organisers.