Oghenevede Ohwovoriole in Abuja
Cell is Life, a social initiative of Supreme Pearls Corporate Services Limited to promote the interest of secondary school students in Biology science and create an atmosphere where students can learn key topics in their fundamental biology,has decided to expand bigger and better in its 3rd edition of the interschool Biology competition.
The initiative, which was introduced in 2017, will feature 70 prominent secondary schools across Ibadan, Oyo State and Abeokuta, Ogun State in an event expected to hold later in the year.
In a statement by its Executive Director, Miss Funmilayo Sodipo, wednesday, the group said that with the initiative, it has the long-term vision of instilling in students, the passion to pursue science-related career in the future.
‘’To keep the flag flying and the impact growing, the initiative has decided to expand bigger and better in the 3rd edition of the interschool Biology competition that will feature 70 prominent secondary schools across Ibadan, Oyo State and Abeokuta, Ogun State.
‘’The competition is designed to help us further achieve our vision to be a foremost initiative dedicated to the promotion and advancement of science education in Nigerian schools. And the mission: to promote the interest of secondary school students in the sciences through competitions, regular seminars, talks and giving educational aids to students.
‘’Practically, we hope to also use the competition to prepare the current crops of secondary school students for outstanding success in Biology in the next WASSCE, NECO and UME examinations’’, Sodipo added.
Explaining the three phases of the competition, she said the ‘’screening phase’’ is the first stage of the competition where each participating school conducts an internal selection process where they get to choose who will be representing their school at the first stage of the competition.
While the ‘’examination phase’’ will have students representing each school converge to write a written examination in Biology, saying the examination consists of both objective questions and essay questions designed and prepared by academic professionals in line with relevant syllabi to test their knowledge in the subject.
‘’From this phase, only 10 secondary schools get to advance to the next stage – The Grand Finale’’, the statement further explained.
The last phase, which is the ‘’Quiz Phase’’, according to Miss Sodipo, will witness the participation of the 10 successful schools from the examination phase.
She added, ‘’The qualifying schools will get to battle it out in a tight quiz competition session and from this, three winners are expected to emerge as the eventual winners of the competition.
‘’This phase also witnesses a lecture on best practices of teaching and learning the subject as well as debate competition from university students to further inspire the younger ones.’’
While the screening phase is on-going in individual secondary schools in the affected states, the examination phase, according to Miss Sodipo, is expected to hold on October 11, 2019 at Zoology Department Lecture Theatre, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, and major lecture theatre in Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
The statement further stated that the Quiz Phase will take place on November 15, 2019 at Faculty of Science Lecture Theatre, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
On the proposed prizes, she said that representatives of the first 20 schools from the examination will be given medals and different educational items like books, pens, school bags and so on, in the examination phase, while students in Quiz phase will get N200,000, first position; N150,000, second position and N100,000 for the third position.
The first overall student will be given a scholarship offer from a prominent private university in Nigeria.
She further stated, ‘’In addition to the cash prizes, the students will also be given textbooks, practical equipment and other educational support items.
‘’They will also be the Initiative’s ambassadors for the next one year in order to inspire other students. And participating schools — the three winning participating schools receive plaques’’, she said.
