2 Kibi schools win reading contest
The Kibi M/A Experimental Basic School and Kibi Ebenezer Presbyterian Basic School have won the first-ever reading competition for basic two and three pupils respectively in the Abuakwa South Municipality in the Eastern Region.
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Known as Kingsley Readathon Challenge, it was organised by Dr Kingsley Agyemang, the Registrar of the Ghana Scholarship Secretariat, in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service, Kingdom Books and Stationery, Vibe Travel Consult, Luki Media Gh, JL Properties, Functions Risk Consult and Beulah Insurance Brokers.
It involves basic three and two pupils from over 20 schools who competed among themselves over the last three months, culminating in the selection of the six finalists.
The winners took home electronic tablets, cash for themselves and cash for their various schools and certificates.
As part of the competition all the participating schools were provided with reading materials and encouraged to form reading clubs.
The schools competed among themselves, culminating in the three basic two schools and three basic three schools competing at the grand finale.
They were tested in reading proficiency, word spelling, comprehension, character description, word building, among others.
For basic two, Ampofo Julia Ampomaa Gyimaa of Kibi M/A Experimental came first, followed by Princess Adu Ampofoa of Akosua Agyeiwaa Methodist and Dorothy Sopitey of Asiakwa Presbyterian Primary.
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At the basic three level, Enoch Appiah Danquah of Kibi Ebenezer Presby Basic was adjudged the best followed by Vanessa Afriyie Asante of Kibi Presbyterian College of Educations Demonstration Basic School and Abdul Kofi Bernard of Kibi M/A Experimental.
Vice-President
Just before the start of the competition at the Kibi Presbyterian College of Education, a Ghana Air force helicopter carrying the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, touched down at the school’s football field for an official programme in the region.
Almost all the over 600 pupils who were taking their breakfast of milo drink and bread prior to the competition and students of the college dashed out to catch a glimpse of the helicopter.
When he disembarked he went round and interacted with the children.
Speaking at the commencement of the competition, Dr Agyemang said the output of the pupils bore testimony to the results of the National Standardised test conducted in 2015 and 2022.
He said though one school was exceptional in word formation, another was excellent in the spelling while the other did very well in the reading and comprehension, all pointed to the work ahead of stakeholders.
He called on parents, education administrators, teachers, politicians, parents and guardians to help in ensuring that the children did well in all the areas of literacy, and gave the assurance that the Kingsley Readathon Challenge and its sponsors and partners would continue to support their efforts.
Dr Agyemang said the competition which was aimed at helping to inculcate the habit of reading and comprehension among the pupils had also unearthed the inherent challenges facing the pupils, and urged all stakeholders in the educational value chain to put their shoulders to the wheel to address the matter.
Test
Dr Agyemang quoted statistics from the National Standardised Test which indicated that just two per cent of lower primary pupils could read in 2007 but this figure improved to 38 per cent in 2022, and added that though there had been an improvement much was required to be done.
“This intervention is to create excitement, create the culture of reading and comprehension among the children,” he said, noting that already, the competition had made the schools to form reading clubs even before the reading materials for the competition.
For her part, the Abuakwa South Municipal Director of Education, Comfort Ofori Appiah, expressed delight at the establishment of the competition and said the District Teacher Support Team had been going round to train and support the teachers in preparing the pupils.
She said the competition had whipped up the interest of pupils in reading which had led to improvement in reading and comprehension, and gave the assurance that the directorate would sustain the competition.
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