Ajumako District Triumphs in Zonal STEM Quiz Competition

Ajumako: The Ajumako District, represented by GESDI 'B' Basic School, has emerged victorious against the Ekumfi and Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa Districts in the second edition of the Standard Assessment Solutions (SAS) Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) quiz at the Zonal level. GESDI secured a cumulative 41 points in the competitive event, surpassing Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa's Christian International School and Ekumfi's Narkwa Methodist Basic School, which scored 40 and 39 points respectively.According to Ghana News Agency, the four-round competition assessed the contestants' knowledge, speed, and ingenuity with practical questions from Maths, Science, and Technology. The SAS STEM quiz was organized concurrently in five zones and involved 15 of the 23 districts in the Central Region. The winning districts, including Ajumako, have secured their places in the final stage of the competition to compete for the ultimate prize.Mr. Mawuena Kofi Abotsi, the Mathematics and Science Coordinator for the Ajumako District, highlighted that the quiz aimed to promote healthy competition among basic schools and improve student performance. He praised SAS, an examination body in the Central Region, for the initiative, describing it as a valuable contribution to society. However, Mr. Abotsi also expressed disappointment in the students' performance, stating, "Their performance was not encouraging. We were expecting more, but when we came here, we were all surprised by their performance."He noted that the education offices were continuously working to enhance the teaching and learning of STEM in their respective districts. Mr. Abotsi emphasized that basic STEM education required the integration of career technology, computing, and science to boost performance. He acknowledged that the use of computing technologies and the application of various concepts posed challenges for the district, but they were striving to improve the situation.