Bethany Primary Retains St. Ann Quiz Competition Championship in Thrilling Finale

In a thrilling finale of the recent St. Ann South Western Quiz Competition, Bethany Primary School successfully defended their championship title, emerging victorious in the second staging of the event.

Students faced off in three challenging rounds at Bethany Baptist Church, testing their skills in General Knowledge, Mathematics, and Science.

In the end, Bethany Primary School outscored Aboukir Primary 50–41 to secure the win, while Murray Mountain Primary claimed third place.

The competition, aimed at fostering scholastic excellence and positive youth development, began its season with 19 participating schools from the southwest region of St. Ann.

State Minister in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, Hon. Zavia Mayne, who also serves as Member of Parliament for St. Ann South Western, commended the competition’s organisers for its successful staging, noting that it generated significant public excitement.

“This is a competition we started last year… [so] this is our second year. By virtue of the excitement and the public interest, I know that we’ll be here next year,” he said.

The State Minister highlighted that the quiz competition showcased the students’ talents beyond academics.

“This is a rural space, and we have to prepare our children to go out to the world at large. There are many students who are bright, but they do not have that expressive component attached to their brilliance. This is what we really want them to do… to participate in that environment of competition, to express themselves and to demonstrate to the world at large, their true potential,” he added.

Mr. Mayne further encouraged residents to actively support and nurture students, emphasising their role in shaping the future generation.

“We have to protect them. We have to embrace them. We have to love them… because they are the leaders of tomorrow,” he said.

Competition Coordinator and Social Development Commission (SDC) Community Development Officer, Oshane Grey, noted that the event successfully fostered student growth and development, marking a significant accomplishment for the initiative.

“The competition has grown, not only in the number of schools participating, but also in the remarkable tenacity and confidence displayed by the students,” he said.

Mr. Grey, who also served as quizmaster for the final round, pointed out that the competition positively influences students’ Primary Exit Profile (PEP) performances.

“So we see results coming out in their PEP exams. The Ministry [of Education, Skills, Youth and Information] shared with us that the PEP results increased over the year since the competition started,” he stated.

In recognition of their performances and victory, students received cash prizes and technological devices sponsored by Mr. Mayne and the Universal Service Fund (USF) — a strategic initiative designed to support their transition into higher grades.

USF Chief Executive Officer, Charlton McFarlane, emphasised the agency’s commitment to supporting the competition as part of its mission to expand technological access across communities in Jamaica.

“We are trying to bridge the digital divide and to provide universal access to technology… and we base that on three pillars. One is our Wi-Fi connectivity… two is our training activities, and three is the fact that we provide devices to our young people who would otherwise be unable to access those devices,” he said, noting that 12 students in the competition were awarded devices.

Mr. McFarlane indicated that the USF plans to continue supporting future quiz competitions and encouraged the expansion of the initiative to other constituencies across the island.

For team captain of Bethany Primary, Jintae Thompson, the victory was sweet — but receiving a laptop made the award especially meaningful.

“I feel glad. I feel proud of myself, because I’m going to high school soon. So, I really need a computer to help me in many ways,” he stated.

Despite finishing second, Aboukir Primary and Infant School’s team captain, Thalia Lothian Aboukar, expressed pride in her team’s solid performance.

“I feel good, because I know that my team and I worked very hard and we did our best,” she said.

Addressing her teammates, Thalia reminded them of their worth: “No matter what happens, always remember that you are amazing and you are a star.”