Accra Academy left their supporters disappointed while Tamale Senior High School amazed everyone with a stellar performance at the SGS Auditorium, as all three seeded schools—Tamale SHS, St. John’s School, and Accra Academy—clashed in a thrilling Quarter-final of the 2024 National Science & Maths Quiz. Against all odds, Tamale SHS stormed into the Semi-final Stage with 40 points, edging out St. John’s School, who secured 38 points, while Accra Academy trailed with 32 points in a contest that kept the audience on edge.
In the Prudential Life Insurance Speed Race, St. John’s School once again demonstrated their brilliance, dominating the round by answering the majority of the questions posed to the competing schools. Their swift responses drew loud cheers from the enthusiastic audience, solidifying their lead.
Throughout the contest, Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann maintained a balance between seriousness and light-heartedness. She not only provided detailed explanations for some of the answers but also lightened the tense atmosphere with humour, helping to ease the pressure on the contestants and energise the room.
The intensity peaked during Round Three, known as the "Problem of the Day." Here, each school was tasked with solving a challenging mathematics problem within four minutes. The students gave it their all, working diligently to tackle the problem. After carefully reviewing their solutions, she explained what she had been looking for and awarded points accordingly. St. John’s School once again emerged victorious, securing the highest score in this round with a total of six points.
The excitement continued into Round Four, the Jupay Money Transfer True / False section. One of St. John’s School’s contestants, Selasi, quickly became a crowd favourite, earning cheers from the audience with every correct answer. On the other hand, Tamale SHS made a crucial substitution, bringing in Ahmed for this round. Unfortunately, Ahmed struggled under the pressure, frequently answering incorrectly, which dented Tamale SHS’s score and momentum.
As the round concluded, St. John’s School supporters, confident in their team’s performance, began jubilating, singing their school anthem in anticipation of victory. They believed the final round would only serve to cement their triumph and crown them the champions of the day.
In the Goil Super Bonanza, the tension in the room heightened as the Quiz Mistress posed a riddle to the audience after the schools had failed to provide the correct answer. However, even the audience struggled, leaving the riddle unanswered.
Just when it seemed like Tamale SHS’s hopes were slipping away, Ahmed, determined to make amends, stepped up and correctly answered the final riddle. His response not only redeemed his earlier performance but also turned the tide in favour of Tamale SHS, securing their place in the Semi-final Stage.
The victory ignited a wave of celebration from their supporters, as they advanced to the next round of the 2024 National Science & Maths Quiz with renewed confidence.
The Round-by-Round Scores for this contest stood as follows:
Round One General Questions (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology)
Tamale SHS: 19 Points
Accra Academy: 14 Points
St John’s School: 17 Points
Round Two (Prudential Life Insurance Speed Race)
Tamale SHS: 25 Points
Accra Academy: 18 Points
St John’s School: 19 Points
Round Three (Problem of the Day)
Tamale SHS: 30 Points
Accra Academy: 22 Points
St John’s School: 25 Points
Round Four (Jupay Money Transfer True/False)
Tamale SHS: 34 Points
Accra Academy: 32 Points
St John’s School: 38 Points
Round Five (Goil Super Bonanza)
Tamale SHS: 40 Points
Accra Academy: 32 Points
St John’s School: 38 Points
The National Science & Maths Quiz is produced by Primetime Limited and proudly sponsored by the Ghana Education Service, in partnership with GOIL PLC, and supported by Joy News, Pepsodent, Jupay Money Transfer, Prudential Life Insurance Ghana, Beta Malt, ALX, KIVO, Bel Beverages, Flora Tissues, Coronation Insurance, Accra College of Medicine, University of Mines & Technology (UMaT), Academic City University College, PMMC Jewellery, GTP, CHASS, YFM and Girlmark Foundation.