The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company in collaboration with the Education Ministry yesterday launched the ‘Know your Stuff’ Literature Quiz Competition which is expected to begin in January when schools reopen.
Victor Insanally of GuyEnterprise, during a press briefing, indicated that 16 schools will be participating, eight of which are located in rural areas while the remaining eight will come from Georgetown and Region Four.
Three students will come from each school with two being reserves in case of an emergency.
Also addressing the small forum was the brainchild behind the initiative, Dr. Joyce Jonas, who noted that the goal of this competition is to encourage children to read carefully and also to promote learning in a fun way.
“One of the best subjects students can study at school is literature because literature is about life and they have to learn how to live with each other and learn about life situations.
Everybody should have to do literature but it should be fun and this is what this competition is about, making literature fun,” Jonas stated.
She explained that preparations for the competition will not cut into students’ study for end-of-term examinations as it will be based on the same material. “We are not doing anything extra that will counter what the teachers are doing… The texts that are on the literature syllabus are going to be the material for the quiz,” she said, adding that participants will be required to study two novels, two plays and several short stories and poems.
Chief Executive Officer of GT&T Yog Mahadeo said that immediate interest was found in the idea of the quiz since the telecommunications company is interested in a continuing role in Guyana’s progress. “We want to ensure that we don’t just put our money where our mouth is but we support and when we start something we ensure that it is ongoing,” he noted.
He promised to take up new initiatives in the coming year which will make areas such as science, mathematics and literature more exciting.
“Every academic term will see some form of competition that engenders good reading and studying and testing at a public level,” Mahadeo added.
He further stated that this quiz can be considered a stepping stone in Guyana’s development as it provides children with a wonderful opportunity to learn, interact and publically showcase their skills on television.
“When we invest in our children we invest in our country and more so in the world,” Mahadeo noted as he made reference to the recently-concluded spelling bee competition through which a local student travelled overseas to participate in a regional competition.
Newly-appointed Education Minister Priya Manickchand stated that this initiative adds to the government’s efforts in continuing on the path of development at a faster pace.
This, she said, is evident in the many initiatives that have so far equitably delivered education to youths nationwide.
“We have attained a universal primary education but although we have attained that we need to look at quality and it is something we have recognized in the government and we will be working on it,” she said, adding that the government will soon be working to ensure that a secondary education is also accessible to children. She said that this literature quiz initiative assists in doing this.
Manickchand added that this programme will not only help students but will also give ideas to teachers on how to make learning fun, interactive and effective.
“While I believe that it’s the state’s responsibility to provide service, I think that every citizen, corporate citizens, and particularly corporate citizens who are doing well, have a responsibility to join hands with the government and the people of Guyana to ensure that our country develops at a more rapid pace and for that I say GT&T has not failed in any area to do this,” Manickchand stated.
A draw was done at the end of the meeting for those who will compete in the preliminary round.
Contesting against each other will be Mackenzie High versus Mae’s Secondary, North Georgetown Secondary versus President’s College, Abram Zuil versus Mahaicony Secondary, West Demerara Secondary versus Bishops’ High, St. Rose’s High versus Queen’s College, St Joseph’s High versus New Amsterdam Multilateral, J. C. Chandisingh versus St. Stanislaus and Anna Regina Secondary versus Marian Academy.
