With a mix of astonishment and sheer joy, the 3-member team from Goka Senior High and Technical School has secured a place in the national championship of the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ), marking their school’s return after 30 long years.
Against the odds, they narrowly clinched the final spot alongside Methodist SHTS-Berekum, Nafana SHS, Sunyani SHS, and Notre Dame Girls, to represent the Bono region in the prestigious 2023 NSMQ.
Despite being written off by their peers, the Goka SHS team remained determined to succeed, determined to end their school’s three-decade absence from the national championships.
“Our friends never believed us. They told us we were just coming to fail. But we had to press on,” one of the contestants said.
The team travelled all the way from Jaman North to Bono’s capital, Sunyani in a public transport as their school has no functional bus.
With fewer preparatory materials but two committed teachers to cheer the three students on, they beat their contenders by a slim margin.
“I was surprised when we won. I thought we were second rather. I just couldn’t believe it,” the female contestant on the team said.
They won with 22 points, one point ahead of their closest contender, Koase SHS, followed keenly by Dormaa SHS with 20 points, while Berekum Presby SHS managed only 14 points.
Displaying prowess and finesse, Notre Dame Girls’ SHS proved their dominance over their competitors, winning their contest by a 20-point margin.
They slugged it out with Sumaman SHS, Twene Amanfo SHS, and Diamono SHS for a place in the national championship.
They say they are in an unstoppable motion to win the trophy this year.
“Our molecules are moving fast. This year the other schools’ collusion won’t be effective. We are coming for the trophy,” one of the students said.
Meanwhile, Nafana SHS ended their 4-year drought of qualifying for the national stage after beating Berekum SHS in a tie-breaker.