Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann, the longest-serving quiz mistress of the National Science and Math Quiz (NSMQ), shared her insights regarding the success of the Presbyterian Boys Senior High School (PRESEC) in the competition during an interview on Starr FM with host Bola Ray.
PRESEC has won the NSMQ a remarkable eight times, and they successfully defended their 2022 title in this year’s contest.
Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann attributed PRESEC’s success to the thorough preparations made by the contestants and the school’s commitment to academic excellence. She highlighted that PRESEC’s impressive performance in the competition often inspires admiration among fans, who aspire to enroll in the school to partake in such intellectual challenges.
Furthermore, she mentioned that PRESEC’s management conducts quiz programs to foster a culture of academic excellence in the school. Professor Elsie Effah Kaufmann encouraged other schools to make similar investments and shift their focus from traditional cultural activities to improve their chances of winning future editions of the competition.
“It seems like their contestants are well prepared even before they get to the school. Some young Junior High School or even basic school student is watching and observing how well the school is doing and deciding their are going to attend that school. These days there are all kinds of quiz programmes. They are practicing there. By the time they get to PRESEC to come and join that team, they already have a head start.
“Compare this to a girls school picking their candidate after a mock in the final year. They have the structures in place. At PRESEC right now, I’m sure they have several different teams and they didn’t start this just yesterday. They have their first-year team. And other schools are singing and dancing, this school is doing quiz programmes. Unfortunately, they don’t get points for those things,” she said.
Meanwhile, Headmaster of Presbyterian Boys SHS, David Odjidja, says preparations have already commenced to enable the school to defend the title of National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) champions for another year.
One would have thought that the school would take a break before commencing training once again, but according to the school’s head, that is not the case.
He explained that “we take it as a project. Last year when we came with the 7th trophy, there were jubilations all over. But the next day, the boys started working towards this trophy. It took less than 24 hours for them to go back to start work.”
In an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show, Odjidja explained that the contestants undergo nerve-wracking training for two years in order to prepare for the competition.
“The boys were selected in Form 1, two years ago. They have been working throughout vacations.”
The headmaster of PRESEC emphasized the importance of the trophy for the school’s 85th anniversary.
“This trophy is badly needed for the celebration,” he said.