Founder of EN Analytics, Ebenezer Nimako Nyarko has underscored the pivotal role of the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) in the promotion of science and maths in Ghanaian senior high schools.
He was speaking on Campus Exclusive, where he was explaining the factors that were considered in the latest analytics release that ranked the strength of science in senior high schools in Ghana.
By emphasizing the significance of the NSMQ competition as the closest representative of science and maths education in the country, Nyarko highlighted the rationale behind focusing on this event for evaluating educational standards.
“The criteria is to look at what represents science and maths in the secondary school category currently and the nearest proxy is the National Science and Maths Quiz. So that is why we focus on the NSMQ to look at science and maths education in Ghana. Your final position that you reach in a particular year and then the category of the school that has been assigned to you by GES.”
In a bid to address the fundamental aspects of acknowledging efforts in educational competitions, Nyarko emphasized the necessity of rankings beyond mere victory, highlighting the significance in appreciating schools’ efforts, regardless of their ranking, to truly acknowledge their dedication to the NSMQ.
“Every competition must have a ranking, so that informs the basis of the ranking. You cannot just hold a competition and say that [a school] just won the competition; [A school] will be at the semifinals without winning but that school must be recognized for the effort that they have put in reaching their positions. So that forms the basis of the rankings but that rankings are not necessarily for the winner of the competition but to reward consistent performance,” he said.
Nyarko also explained why EN Analytics uses the National Science and Maths Quiz for it’s ranking, pointing out that apart from the NSMQ, there exists no other method representative of science and maths education in Ghana.
“In Ghana, when you talk about science and maths in secondary schools, apart from the NSMQ, we can’t have any other method that represents science and maths education in Ghana. So that is the closest that we can get in Ghana at the moment.”
In conclusion, Nyarko’s emphasis on the NSMQ as a vital tool for evaluating science and maths education in Ghana and his call for comprehensive rankings that acknowledge all participating schools’ efforts highlighted the need for a broader understanding of excellence in educational competitions beyond mere victory.
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Story by: Ezekiel Nsoh | univers.ug.edu.gh
