The Abuakwa South Municipal Director of Education, Mrs Comfort Ofori-Appiah, has attributed notable improvements in academic performance, reading proficiency and learner confidence to the Kingsley Science and Maths Quiz and the Kingsley Spelling Challenge.

Speaking on the sidelines of the grand finale of this year's competitions in Kyebi, Mrs Ofori-Appiah described the annual contests as a major driving force behind educational excellence in the municipality since they were introduced six years ago.

She said the competitions have motivated pupils to embrace academic contests with enthusiasm while building their confidence both in and beyond the classroom.

“The event has boosted the confidence of our learners. They are always excited whenever they hear about the competition, and academically we have seen remarkable improvement,” she said.

According to the Municipal Director, many pupils who distinguished themselves in previous editions have gained admission into some of the country's top senior high schools, highlighting the lasting impact of the initiative.

“Some of the girls who competed in the semi-finals and finals are now enrolled in Category A senior high schools. Their reading ability has improved tremendously, and when you visit their schools, they continue to perform exceptionally well,” she stated.

She further noted that schools that have consistently featured in the competition, including KPCE Demonstration and Kibi Ebenezer Presbyterian, continue to post impressive academic results.

Touching on the impact of the spelling competition on the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), Mrs Ofori-Appiah stressed that strengthening literacy at the primary level lays a solid academic foundation, making learning easier at the junior high school level and improving examination outcomes.

“If children can read well at the primary level, learning becomes much easier when they get to JHS. We are therefore hopeful that many of our learners will obtain grades that will enable them to gain admission into Category A and B senior high schools,” she explained.

This year's edition introduced a new feature, with all schools that reached the semi-final stage invited to attend the grand finale with 40 pupils each.

Mrs Ofori-Appiah said the move was aimed at exposing more learners to academic excellence while promoting teamwork, healthy competition and meaningful interaction among participating schools.

“In previous years, only the finalist schools attended the finals. This year, we invited all the semi-finalist schools so that more learners could observe, learn and be inspired. You can see the excitement and joy in the auditorium,” she remarked.

Assessing the municipality's BECE performance since the introduction of the initiative, the Director said results have improved steadily over the past six years, despite a slight decline last year following the introduction of the Common Core Curriculum.

“We experienced a slight drop last year because it was the first examination under the new Common Core Curriculum, a challenge experienced nationwide. This year, however, we are optimistic that the results will improve significantly,” she said.

She disclosed that the Directorate is targeting an overall pass rate of about 65 per cent this year, with plans to exceed that benchmark in the coming years.

Delivering a message to candidates awaiting this year's BECE results, Mrs Ofori-Appiah congratulated them in advance and encouraged them to make informed choices during the school selection process.

“I want to congratulate our candidates in advance. When they perform well, it reflects the hard work being done in our municipality. As you receive your results before school placement this year, choose schools that match your grades and that your parents can comfortably support. Every child deserves a smooth transition to senior high school,” she advised.