Public schools win NCDMB Science Quiz in Bayelsa

Two public schools, Government Secondary School (G.S.S) Amassoma and Kaiama Grammar School (K.G.S) Kiaima have clinched the top two positions in the 3^rd edition of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) sponsored science quiz competition for secondary schools in Bayelsa State.

The quiz competition themed “Grab a Star: Reach for the sky” is organised annually in conjunction with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Bayelsa State and the grand finale for the 2015/2016 edition was held in Yenagoa on Tuesday where Biedomo Premier School, Yenagoa clinched the third position.

In his welcome remarks, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Board, Mr. Patrick Daziba Obah congratulated the  top two schools for breaking the dominance of the Federal Government College Odi and private schools in the competition, noting that their performance had corrected the wrong perception that public schools perform poorly in academics.

The Acting Executive Secretary who was represented by the General Manager, Zonal Coordination and Board’s Projects, Dr. Ginah O. Ginah explained that the Board’s sponsorship of the quiz competition was borne out of its determination to improve the standard of science education in Bayelsa State and deliver on its key mandate of developing the capacities of Nigerians who would work in the oil and gas industry.

Delivering his speech, the Commissioner for Information, Bayelsa State, Hon. Jonathan Obuebite commended the Board for its contribution to the development of education in the state. He attributed the success of the public schools to the state of emergency declared on the educational sector by Governor Seriake Dickson’s administration four years ago.

According to the commissioner, the government had invested massively in infrastructural and facility upgrade of schools and that had ensured that Bayelsa State now places 4^th and 5^th in the national performance ranking for WAEC and NECO examinations, a remarkable improvement from when its used to place 33^rd and 34^th in the same examinations a few years ago.

He underscored the importance of education to the physical development of the state and psychological transformation of the citizenry to become self-reliant.

Also speaking, the Director, Science, Technical and Higher Education in the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Joyce Singabele thanked the Board and NTA for the successful conclusion of the 3^rd edition of the science quiz competition.

She challenged the Board to intensify its support to the state’s educational sector by providing science and technology equipment to secondary schools and to help retrain science teachers who would in turn impart knowledge to the students.