Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – November 26, 2023
Naparima Girls’ High School has made History by being the first school to score a hat-trick by winning the National African History Quiz for Secondary Schools for three consecutive years 2021, 2022, 2023. The school entered the competition for the first time in 2021 and have won each year since then. Their championship has broken the record of St Francois Girls’ College which was until this year, the only school to have won the competition three times but did not score a hat-trick.
Brazil R.C. Primary School is the first Primary school to have won the National Spoken Word Competition for Primary School for two consecutive years, 2022 and 2023. Samiya Ashby was this year’s champion following in the footsteps of her fellow schoolmate Zev Garcia-Hobson, who won the title in 2022.
These competitions are organized annually by the Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago (ESCTT) and sponsored by Republic Bank Ltd through its Power To Make A Difference Programme.
The competitions aim:
- To contribute to increased knowledge, understanding, appreciation and pride as regards to the nation’s African Heritage.
- To inform of the contribution of Africans to world development at the national, regional and international levels.
- To encourage cooperation, conflict resolution and leadership among young persons through the experience of team work.
- To assist students in the development of their oratory and dramatic skills.
- To use the spoken word as a tool for social and cultural development of the nation’s youth.
The competitions, held over a five-week period, involved 19 secondary schools and 13 primary schools from across the country. The African History Quiz required students to study a manual with four sections: General Knowledge, African Events, Renowned Africans, and Africans in
Science. The schools competed in Preliminary rounds, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, and Finals, answering questions in a TIC-TAC-TOE game format.
The calypsos selected for this year’s Spoken Word Competition paid tribute to the steelpan, in commemoration of the 2023 proclamation of August 11th as World Steel Pan Day by the United Nations General Assembly. They included calypsos from the Lord Kitchener, Merchant, Stalin, the Mighty Sparrow and Terror. For the competitions each student presented a dramatic spoken word presentation of the calypso selected
The Semi Final, Quarter Final and Final Rounds of the competitions are broadcast on TTT. The finalists for the African History Quiz this year were Naparima Girls High School, Arima Central Secondary which placed second, Marabella North Secondary, third, and St. Stephen’s College, fourth. Each of the five members of the winning team received laptops, individual awards, and cash prizes. The school received the Dr. Olabisi Kuboni Challenge trophy, a 50-inch television and the Tracy Wilson Award of Excellence. All the students who participated in the Finals also received individual awards, cash prizes and electronic devices.
Emmerald Renee, of Febeau Government, placed second, in the National Spoken Word Competition, Sakeri Banister also of Brazil R.C. placed third and Israel Gibbs of Barataria Anglican placed fourth. Samiya, the champion, was awarded a tablet, a cash prize and an individual award. The other three finalists also receive individual awards cash prizes and electronic devices. The school was presented with the Eintou Pearl Springer Challenge Trophy by Dr. Springer, along with 50-inch television and the Carlyle Wilson Award of Excellence.
All participating students in both competitions received a stationery package courtesy of ESCTT and RBL.
Captain Naomi Wilson (middle) led her fellow team members L-R: Kasey Huggins, Tea Forde, Mariah Khan and Ajada Wankin to victory.
Samiya Ashby with Dr. Pearl Eintou Springer with Principal holding the trophy
The Executive Chair of the ESCTT, Mrs. Zakiya Uzoma Wadada said, “these annual competitions fill a critical gap in the education of our students as they provide information which is for the most part not yet available as part of the school’s curriculum. As the competitions are broadcast on national television, they provide in very pleasant and engaging formats the opportunity for increased knowledge not only for our students, teachers and parents who are intimately involved but also the general public”
The ESCTT thanks the Ministry of Education, Republic Bank Ltd., TTT students, teachers, judges and all those who have contributed to the success of this years’ competitions.
