The 2019 NSMQ champions, Augusco, brought their A-game in a fierce intellectual clash against St Hubert Seminary Senior High School and Bishop Herman College.

The contest, held at the SGS auditorium on Friday, October 25, was the perfect sequel to their earlier victories in the one-eighth stage, setting the stage for an intense quarter-final battle that had supporters on the edge of their seats.

From the get-go, AUGUSCO seized the lead with 25 points in the first round, followed closely by Bishop Herman with 22 points, and St Hubert just behind with 20. The atmosphere was electric as supporters cheered their schools in this thrilling battle of wits and knowledge.

As the contest advanced to the second round, St Augustine’s College tightened their grip on the top spot, extending their lead to 34 points. St Hubert Seminary surged ahead into second place with 27 points, leaving Bishop Herman trailing with 18 points.

The tension in the auditorium was high, with some supporters biting their nails in nervous anticipation, while others roared in celebration.

The AUGUSCO boys kept their dominance unchallenged, executing flawless teamwork and academic brilliance. By the third and fourth rounds, they had surged to an impressive 53 points, maintaining their lead and widening the gap against their opponents. St Hubert kept their second-place position intact with 39 points, while Bishop Herman trailed with 29 points.

The final round saw St Augustine’s College cement their supremacy, finishing the contest with a whopping 56 points. St Hubert Seminary, despite a valiant effort and 42 points, could not dethrone the mighty AUGUSCO. Bishop Herman College concluded their NSMQ journey with 35 points, leaving the battlefield with heads held high for their commendable performance.

With this emphatic victory, St Augustine’s College has stormed into the semi-finals, reigniting their dream of a second NSMQ title and the ultimate bragging rights.

AUGUSCO’s fans are now buzzing with excitement, confident that their school is well on the path to reclaiming the coveted trophy! The journey continues, and the race for the NSMQ crown is far from over!

The 2024 National Science and Maths Quiz is produced by Primetime Limited and sponsored by the Ghana Education Service in partnership with GOIL PLC and supported by Pepsodent, Jupay, and Prudential Life Insurance Ghana.

The broadcast of the National Science & Maths Quiz on JoyNews is supported by NASCO, VitaMilk, Virtual Security Africa, Ace Medical Insurance, Built Financial Technologies, DBS Roofing, Sintex Tanks, Family Health Medical School,  Chopbox Technologies and Action Secondary Technical School.

Source: Prince Adu-Owusu

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This is regardless of the various measures put in place by the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education.

Although education is free, Bishop Herman College in Kpando is charging extra money from parents for their ward’s items if the students want to enjoy their stay in the second-cycle institution.

Myjoyonline.com has sighted a list of items the students are expected to acquire specifically from the school, amounting to GH₵935, without which the students would not be fully admitted.

Below is the full list of items first-year students must acquire from the school:

1. Furniture support – GH₵50
2. Exercise book – GH₵50
3. Exeat – GH₵20
4. Colleges cloth & cardigan – GH₵350 +30
5. Tracksuit – GH₵200+20
6. College Tie – GH₵25
7. College hymnal – GH₵45
8. White T-shirt – GH₵40
9. Hoe- GH₵35

This brings the amount to a subtotal of GH₵865.

Again, the list includes an additional GH₵70 for food supplements, bringing the total to approximately GH₵935.

However, the list does not end there. Parents are expected to cough out money to cater for the following as well;

1. Parent Teacher Association dues- GH₵120
2. House dues – GH₵50
3. Passport picture – GH₵ 50
4. Writing names – GH₵15

This implies that parents are expected to pay an additional amount of GH₵235.

Speaking on the issue, a worried parent who asked to remain anonymous said she did not expect to pay so much to get her ward admitted.

She mentioned that they had already spent a significant amount to meet everything in the prospectus, therefore coming to the school only to be told about additional charges was problematic.

She added that, the timelines they were also given to report to the school makes it difficult to generate enough money.

This comes hours after the Ghana Education Service (GES) took a decisive step to suspend the headmistresses of O’Reilly Senior High School and Ghana Senior High School for breaching their code of conduct.

The headmistress of O’Reilly Senior High School is specifically accused of collecting unauthorised funds during the admission process, prompting her suspension for the commencement of investigations.

The headteacher of Ghana Senior High School was, however, accused of selling some items to the first year students.

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