In a few hours, the biggest quiz in Ghana would be back on TV, radio and online.
All the 135 schools competing in the National Science and Maths Quiz have arrived at the University of Ghana as the competition takes off on Monday.
All the 27 schools who reached the quarterfinal in 2018 automatically qualified for the 2019 edition. Every other school, however, had to earn one of the 108 spots in the prelims.
And after all the qualifiers, the stage is set and the balloting has been done on Saturday.
Before then, however, let’s take a look at the schools that got the highest scores in each regional qualifier and what threat they pose and by extension which region has the most threatening foot foward.
Ashanti Region
Kumasi High School recorded the highest score in the regional qualifiers with a 77-point tally. Incidentally, this score is the highest across all 10 regional qualifying contest.
At the one-eighth stage in the 2018 contest, a three-point difference saw them crush out at the hands of St Louis SHS also in Kumasi.
With such a keen contest, they should be a force in 2019. At least they have the support of the deputy Education minister Dr. Yaw Adutwum.
Eastern Region
In the Eastern Region, Oti Boateng SHS scored 74 points, much higher than the prestigious Pope John SHS and Minor Seminary. They qualified with 50 points.
With history to guide us, OBOSS should ease through the prelims but they may find difficulties from the one-eighth stage when the seeded schools join.
* Volta Region
As expected, Bishop Herman College had no trouble shrugging off opposition during the qualifiers. Their 56-point tally is the highest scored in the region.
The Volta giants have however, failed to progress past the one-eighth stage in the past two years, their last defeat coming from rivals, Mawuli School.
The boys however, are confident of better chances in 2019.
Central Region
St Augustine’s College scored 54 points same as Edinaman SHS but the former went ahead to win the Central Regional Championship, defeating even the seeded schools.
They are therefore the name to watch out for in the Central Region. They have also won the competition once.
* Brong Ahafo Region
The only girls’ school to top a region, Notre Dame Girls SHS finished in style with 50 points.
They are poised to sail through the prelims easily with threats to their campaign expected to come from one-eighth stage.
They face Uthman Bin Affan SHS and Adaklu SHS at the prelims.
Upper West Region
St Ignatius of Loyola SHS, with their 48 points were one of the schools to secure Day 1 qualification.
They are also favoured to make it through the prelims. Their progression is however, in doubt considering the success of schools from the north.
* Western Region
St John’s School in Sekondi topped the region with 46 points. They also have struggled to make it past the one-eighth stage in recent times.
Their progression will no doubt require a determination to break a jinx.
Greater Accra
St John’s Grammar, based in Achimota in the capital topped the Greater Accra Region with 44pts. Achimota School also came close with 43 points.
St. John’s Grammar like Achimota School have not made great strides in the competition in recent years.
Upper East Region
Bolgatanga SHS entered the prelims with 40 points, highest in the Upper East Region.
However, history doesn’t favour them and other schools in the region and despite being kings in the region, their progress past the prelims may just lay in the might of their opponents; Cape Coast giants, Augusco and Walewale SHS.
* Northern Region
They are perhaps the weakest region at the contest. With 33 points, Tamale-basedGhana SHS’s tally was the highest in the region, but the highest in the Northern Region is lower than the school with the least qualifying point in the Greater Accra region – Ghanata- 34points.
It’s fair then to conclude that the Northern region may just be wiped out at most by the one-eighth stage.
Note: Regions marked * have now been divided into two or more administrative regions.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
