This is because social vices such as drug addiction were commonly found among senior high school students, and tracing the root of them revealed that the deviant behaviours started at the primary and junior high school (JHS) levels.

Mrs. Ivy Asantewa Owusu, Eastern Regional Director of Education, gave this advice while addressing students at the Eastern Regional Championship of Junior Science and Mathematics Quiz, 2023, held in Koforidua.

The quiz is an annual science and mathematics content-based regional-level competition for junior high schools. This year was the second edition, which drew 14 districts to the regional capital.

The quiz competition also aimed to improve the concentration of students, identify knowledge gaps, boost their confidence, as well as promote STEM education to stir innovative thinking and prepare students for high-demand careers.

Mrs. Owusu noted that due to the complexity of deviant behaviours, it was imperative for parents and teachers to closely monitor children’s interactions with their peers and individuals, as well as their lifestyles, to prevent them from deviating.

“We need engineers, technologists, and technocrats to administer the affairs of the country when it is your turn,” she said and quizzed, “so when illicit drugs such as cocaine, weed, and heroin affect your brain, how can you manage affairs in the near future?

The competition was open to both male and female students, and the females were applauded whenever they answered a mathematical or science question correctly due to the perception that such subjects are difficult for women to master.

Abuakwa North district was placed first among the 14 competing districts, followed by Fanteakwa North district and Atiwa West district.

They received participation certificates, while the emerging district, Abuakwa North, received a certificate of merit and a trophy.