WASSCE student criticises NSMQ as show off, benchmark program
A final-year student of Nsein Senior High School, Richlove Oduro has described the National Science and Mathematics Quiz (NSMQ) as a show-off and a benchmark to determine which second-cycle schools are good in the country.
In an interview monitored by Pretertiary.com which has sparked debate online, the WASSCE candidate said the NSMQ produced by Primetime Limited cannot be used or should not be used as a benchmark to determine good schools.
Describing the Science and Maths Quiz as just a show, she said students who compete in the NSMQ are inherently biologically intelligent arguing that schools do not exert any special effort or provide unique training to prepare them.
But Richlove following backlash about her remakes on the National Science and Math Quiz has clarified that her comments on the program have been misinterpreted, stressing that she did not label the competition as “bogus.”
The Nsien Senior High School student explained that her statement was intended to convey that the National Science and Mathematics Quiz (NSMQ) should not be the sole measure of a school’s quality or academic excellence.
She emphasized that while competition plays a vital role in promoting science and mathematics, it should not be the only benchmark used to judge the capabilities and achievements of various second-cycle schools in the country.
Urging people to consider the full context of her statement before forming opinions. Oduro reiterated her respect for the NSMQ and its significance in Ghana’s education sector, clarifying that her intention was never to undermine the value of the competition.
Despite the backlash, Richlove Oduro has received a gift of GH¢1,000 from a man identified as Sam Wallcot for her opinion about the National Science and Maths Quiz held annually with Senior High School students as contestants.
In a related development, a ceremony has been scheduled for September 21, 2024, to rename Nsein Senior High School founded in 1960 by the first President of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah as Kwame Nkrumah Senior High School.
Located at Nsein-Axim in the Western Region of Ghana, the school was originally known as the Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah Secondary School, then as Axim Secondary School, before finally being renamed to the Nsein Secondary School and then Nsein Senior High School.