…Primary School Pupils Showcase Talents, Convert Waste to Useful Household Items
By Michael Nnebife and Jessica Akabueze
St Patrick’s College, Awka, and St Albert the Great College, Agulu, have beaten other Catholic parochial and returned mission schools in Awka Diocese, to clinch first positions for senior and junior categories, respectively, at the 2025 Diocesan School Quiz Competition held on November 19.
St Theresa’s Secondary School, Enugwu-Ukwu, and St Patrick’s College, Awka, took second positions for senior and junior categories, respectively, while Loretto Special Science School, Adazi-Nnukwu, and Bubendorff Memorial Grammar School, Adazi-Nnukwu, secured third positions for the senior and junior categories respectively.
The region-based representative quiz competition, which took place at St John of God Secondary School, Awka, also brought together parochial and returned mission primary schools of the Diocese, whose pupils enthusiastically engaged in skills competition where they showcased their talents in computer applications, fashion and design, and recycling of waste materials to various useful household items, which included plastic plates, torchlights, schoolbags, mat, among others.
Leading in the skills competition, were Handmaids Infant Jesus Primary School, Awka; St John’s Primary School, Agulu; and St Paul’s Primary School, Abba, in computer applications, fashion and design, and recycling, respectively.
The first runners-up in computer applications, fashion and design, and recycling, were Aquinas Model Primary School, Awka; Nri Primary School, Nri; and St Lucy Primary School, Awka, respectively.
Their St Albert De Great, Agulu; All Saints, Awgbu; and Udoka, Awka counterparts emerged second runners-up in computer applications, fashion and design, and recycling respectively.
The schools which got the first, the second and the third positions in the regional phase of the competition held on November 6 represented their regions in the diocesan phase.
While addressing the participating students, the Chairman of the Awka Diocesan School Quiz Competition Committee and Education Secretary, Nimo Region, Rev Fr Evaristus Ibenegbu, charged them, as well as the entire students in the Diocese, to see the competition as what he called a catapulting moment of growth for them to go higher in academic and technical skills.
The Chairman described the creativity exhibited by the primary school pupils in the course of the competition as topnotch, thanking God for the success of the competition.
‘Two years ago, we were thinking about having something like beauty contest, but this year, we ran against that particular syndrome of always showing things without creating or doing something for ourselves.
‘So this time around, we have tried to do skill acquisition which came out, not only very successfully, but also very wonderfully.
‘Hopefully, by next year, we are going to have the same skills acquisition competition for the secondary schools,’ he said, disclosing that the Diocese was now ready for an upcoming provincial quiz competition among Catholic schools in Anambra State.
‘Ordinarily, what we usually have in the first term is sports or music competition, but because of a provincial quiz competition coming up soon, we had to do this competition in preparation for the provincial quiz competition next term,’ Fr Ibenegbu said, and expressed optimism that the Diocese had all it took to emerge champions, no matter the way the provincial competition would come.
He thanked the Bishop of the Diocese, Most Rev Paulinus Ezeokafor; the Diocesan Education Secretary, Rev Fr Maximus Okonkwo; and the Regional Education Secretaries, for their respective support.
While appreciating the teachers for their efforts and commitment in nurturing the students, Ibenegbu advised critical stakeholders in the education sector to begin to prioritize honouring teachers with special awards to encourage them.
Among the highlights of the event were award and prize presentations to the champions, as well as the first and the second runners-up in the competition.
