A social entrepreneurship firm has organised a quiz competition among Islamic schools in the Ashanti Region aiming to foster academic excellence in STEM education.

This event, designed to ignite passion and proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, not only showcased the talent within Islamic educational institutions but also underscored the imperative of empowering these schools with adequate resources.

The competition which served as a beacon of hope, propelling Islamic schools towards the potential participation in the National Science and Maths Quiz competition, attracted the involvement of 81 schools.

The finals of the competition were held at the Kumasi Central Mosque, where three schools—Ar-Rahma, Ghana Muslim Mission and Salafiya International School—competed. Ar-Rahma emerged victorious with 47 points, followed by Ghana Muslim Mission with 41 points, and Salafiya with 35 points.

Ar-Rahman received 42" digital satellite TV, cash of 600 cedis and set of books among others.

The first runner-up, Ghana Muslim Mission, also received a ceiling fan, books, a cash of 400 cedis while the second runner-up had a standing fan, a cash of 300 cedis, books among others.

Abubakar Umar Hasan, the Chief Executive Officer of Hakia Consult, expressed satisfaction with the students' knowledge and performance following the competition. He highlighted the potential of these junior high school students to excel in future endeavors, especially in the National Science and Maths Quiz competition.

"These are junior high school students and if you look at the kind of questions posed to them and the answers that were given out, it tells us that they have a very great potential for the future, by the time they get to the senior high school, they would have gotten the exposure to perform in the NSMQ," he said.

Abubakar also underscored the obstacles Islamic schools encounter in offering STEM-related courses, citing insufficient infrastructure and facilities as key challenges.

He emphasised the significance of allocating resources to Islamic educational institutions to empower them to excel in the National Science and Maths Quiz, noting that no Islamic school has advanced to the finals of the competition to date.

Abubakar encouraged both students and teachers from the participating schools to diligently prepare for the upcoming year's competition, aiming to make a meaningful impact. He highlighted the importance of proactive preparation and dedication to overcoming existing barriers.

The students conveyed their appreciation to the organisers for providing an opportunity to enhance their academic skills through the competition.

They acknowledged the positive influence it would have on their educational progress and expressed gratitude for the platform provided.

The competition which was organized on the theme "inspiring academic excellence through competition," was in collaboration with the Islamic Education Unit in Kumasi.