All the hard work paid off for St Mary’s High School. The school bagged the championship title at the Old Mutual High School Quiz finals, themed #WeAllWin, held recently via Zoom. Representing Matebeleland South, St Mary’s bested nine schools from other provinces across Zimbabwe at the 2020 virtual grand finals.
The groundbreaking tournament defied all odds following the postponement in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As the longest-running quiz competition for schools in the nation, it never ceases to impress. It is worth noting the year 2021 marks 8 years of successful partnership between Old Mutual High School Quiz and Books of African Records. The program continues to grow.
Speaking at the finals, Minister of Primary and Secondary education, Hon N.C.G Mathema, encouraged all young people “to study and challenge themselves, to grow, and to unlock a fruitful future contributing ideas as members of society after school.”
The Old Mutual High School Quiz hosted by MC Bollaz presented world-class talent across the provinces. From the iconic words of encouragement and anthem to the list of thrilling moments that left viewers at the edge of their seats, nothing is quite like the cognitive-grilling Old Mutual Schools Quiz.
Schools in the running to become the number one grandmaster were:
- Harare Province: Zengeza 1 High
- Mashonaland West: Sanyati Baptist High School
- Manicaland: Marist Brothers High School
- Masvingo: Pamushana High Schoool
- Matebeleland South: St Marys Secondary School
- Bulawayo: Gifford High School
- Mashonaland Central: St Alberts High School
- Midlands: Fletcher High School
- Mashonaland East: Daramombe High School
- Matebeleland North: Regina Mundi High School
The top ten schools’ knowledge was put to the test in 3 rounds, dubbed “heats”. All schools strapped themselves in for the ultimate ride in the Old Mutual Schools Quiz Finale. The first heat posed a set of 32 questions in various categories. Each question was worth 3 points, amounting to 96 total points. Each school was allocated 15 seconds to answer each question, and 8 schools progressed to the semis.
The semifinalists were: Zengeza 1 High: 78 points, Sanyati Baptist High School: 72 points, Marist Brothers High School: 78 points, Pamushana High School: 84 points, St Mary’s Secondary School: 66 points, St Alberts High School: 57 points, Daramombe High School: 72 points and Regina Mundi High School: 57 points.
After a marathon semi-final of over 32 questions, the top 4 schools made it to the final heat. These schools were Sanyati Baptist High School with 84 points, St Mary’s High School with 75 points, Daramombe High School with 75 points and Pamushana High School with 78 points.
It was a pleasant day of competition for St Mary’s High School and all other schools because #WeAllWin. After escaping a disqualification and a tiebreaker, St Mary’s aced the final heat and wowed the audience. Pamushana High School came in second place and Sanyati High School in third place. St Mary’s will enjoy the first place prize: a Honda Fit, certificates and laptops. Pamushana and Sanyati High Schools were awarded trophies, certificates and mobile phones.
Congratulations! Makoroto! Amhlope! The schools presented an exciting competition for viewers who tuned in for the special day. Courtesy of the Book of African Records and Old Mutual, the program came to everyone’s screen without fail. #WeAllWin!
According to Samuel Matsekete, Old Mutual Group CEO, “the partnership is to nurture the talents of young ones through participation in Afro-centric based quiz competition as part of the learning process and prepare our future leaders not only for our country but for the continent.”
Old Mutual encourages all learners to prioritize study as an integral part of pursuing their education. The Old Mutual Schools Quiz is just one way that Old Mutual is pushing its social-corporate responsibility mandate to create a knowledge-sharing platform that allows creation, documentation and publication of our history and facts.
Through the Book of African Records copy, similar to the Guinness Book of World Records, the quiz posed questions and raised awareness of innovations, inventions and achievements by Africans.
