Beyond 'Brilla': Rethinking the National Science and Maths Quiz for true equity

For more than three decades, the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) has captivated Ghana. From its humble beginnings in 1993, from a curious question on a tennis court at the University of Ghana, the quiz has grown into one of the country’s most-watched academic programmes.

It is a major platform for promoting science and mathematics education among senior high school students, a showcase of the nation’s brightest young minds, and a unifying force that transcends regional and ethnic divides.

It is worth acknowledging the superb work the organisers of NSMQ have done. Under the visionary leadership of Mr Kwaku Mensa-Bonsu, the intellectual acumen of late Prof Marian Ewurama Addy, and now the rigorous hands of Prof Elsie Effah Kaufmann, the competition has helped demystify science and mathematics for many young people.

It has created national role models, encouraged thousands of students, especially girls, to pursue science programs, and fostered healthy rivalry among schools.

However, admiration requires honesty. Beneath the glittering trophies, the dramatic tie-breakers, the bragging rights, and the iconic presence of its Quiz Mistress Prof. Elsie Effah Kaufmann lies an uncomfortable truth: the NSMQ is not an equal playing field.

Dominance of the few

After 30 competitions, only 11 schools from the ranks of Ghana’s elite category A schools have emerged as champions. Just four elite schools, PRESEC Legon, Prempeh College, Mfantsipim School, and St. Peter’s SHS, account for 66.7% (20 out of the 30 trophies).

The numbers are staggering; this is not a reflection of the distribution of talent in Ghana. It is a reflection of the distribution of opportunity, resources, and structural advantage.

Structural factors behind the dominance

The elite (Category A) schools that dominate the NSMQ enjoy advantages that other competing schools can only dream of. These Category A schools enjoy a constellation of advantages that create a self-perpetuating cycle of excellence: Strong Alumni Networks and Historical Legacy.

Elite schools often benefit from powerful alumni associations. These networks provide financial support, mentorship, training resources, and sometimes coaching from former contestants who understand the competition intimately.

Over time, this creates institutional knowledge and a pipeline of expertise that newer or less resourced schools simply cannot replicate.

Human Resource Advantage. Just like in every field, there are teachers who are excellent in what they do. Prestigious schools are often able to attract and retain some of the country’s most experienced science and

mathematics teachers through their prestige, better compensation packages, and their urban locations.

Stability in staffing allows these schools to build strong quiz programmes year after year. In contrast, teachers in many under-resourced schools frequently seek transfers, making it difficult to sustain long-term academic programmes such as NSMQ training teams.

Student selection mechanism

Because of their reputation, Category A schools attract many of the highest-performing students from the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). The school placement system also funnels more top-performing BECE students disproportionately into Category A schools.

The result is a cycle in which strong schools attract strong students who then reinforce the school’s dominance.

Institutionalized quiz culture

Many elite schools run year-round quiz preparation programmes. Some even begin identifying potential contestants early in their secondary school journey. Outgoing contestants train incoming teams, creating a continuous cycle of knowledge transfer.

In addition, schools located in major urban centres often have easier access to alumni in universities or professional fields who can support training.

Schools in rural or less resourced areas rarely have access to such support systems.

The seeding advantage

Perhaps the most debated advantage is the seeding system.

Schools that performed well in previous competitions are seeded and enter the competition at later stages, typically the Round of 16. This means seeded schools may need to win only four or five contests to become champions, while unseeded schools may need to compete in as many as seven contests.

They face less fatigue and fewer opportunities for early elimination; they enter only when weaker schools have eliminated themselves.

While seeding helps protect top performers from early elimination, it also reinforces the dominance of historically strong schools.

Finally, the one-off elimination is not reflective of a school's preparation or excellence. Schools spend the whole year preparing, going through different trials across regions, only to be eliminated in just a single contest, which could be influenced by a lot of factors. Schools should

have at least three contests before their elimination is determined.

These structural advantages are not abstract. It plays out every year.

What We Lose by Maintaining the Status Quo.

Realistically, only these elite Category A schools can win the NSMQ championship. If the current structure remains unchanged, Ghana risks missing out on several important opportunities: First, we may never see the full breadth of intellectual talent across the country if only a small

A group of schools realistically compete for the title.

Second, communities across Ghana may lose powerful moments of inspiration. Imagine the impact if students in smaller towns saw their local schools competing successfully on national television.

Third, the long-term legitimacy of a “national” competition could be questioned if most schools feel they have little realistic chance of success.

A Proposal for Change that Brings True Equity: The Two-Division System

If the problem is structural, the solution must be structural also.

Drawing inspiration from football leagues around the world, where teams compete within divisions appropriate to their resources, with pathways for promotion and relegation, I propose a fundamental restructuring of the NSMQ into a division system.

Gold division (Premier Tier)

This would include the strongest schools, such as Category A institutions and promoted teams from the lower division, or seeded schools for a start.

All teams would start from the same stage, competing in group rounds before progressing to the knockout stages. The champion of this division would remain the overall NSMQ champion.

Green Division (Challenger Tier)

This division would include schools from Categories B, C, and D, as well as newer entrants.

Schools would compete within this division, with the opportunity for the top teams to gain promotion to the Gold Division in the following year.

Similarly, the lowest-performing teams in the Gold Division could be relegated.

Such a structure would create meaningful competition at multiple levels while preserving the prestige of the top tier.

How this addresses current inequities

1. Creates Space to Celebrate Excellence at All Levels. Schools that currently exist early, often demoralized by lopsided losses to giants, would have something tangible to celebrate: a trophy, a promotion, a successful season.

Their achievements would be recognized nationally

2. It creates meaningful competition for all schools

An under-resourced school cannot realistically dream of beating PRESEC Legon. But they can dream of winning a Green Division 2 trophy. They can dream of earning a promotion. They can dream of building toward greatness over the years, just as football clubs do in leagues around the

world. It will also strengthen natural rivalries among similarly-resourced schools.

3. Solves the Seeding Advantage Problem

Under the division system, every school in each Division competes in the same number of contests. No more free passes. Progress must be equally earned, demonstrating merit rather than relying on historical status.

Addressing potential concerns

I anticipate several objections and offer responses:

Objection: This would dilute the prestige of the NSMQ."

Response: The Premier League's prestige is not diluted by the existence of the Championship. If anything, the promotion battle makes the Premier League more compelling. Gold Division will remain the pinnacle; Green Division becomes a pathway to reach it.

Objection: Category A schools deserve their advantages; they earned them.

Response: Individual students and teachers at Category A schools work exceptionally hard, and their achievements deserve recognition. But systemic advantages, alumni wealth built over decades, preferential placement of top students, and historical head starts, are not earned by current competing students. They are inherited. Our competition should measure current excellence, not historical privilege.

Objection: It would be logistically challenging to run two competitions.

Response: Primetime Limited has managed growth from 32 schools to about 174 schools. They have demonstrated remarkable organizational capacity. I believe strongly that with proper planning and stakeholders’ engagement, two divisions are achievable. Green Division leagues could feed into Gold Division national finals, spreading the logistical load. Sponsorships can be secured specifically for the Green Division and position it as an investment in Ghana's future STEM

talent.

Objection: “People will perceive Green division (Division 2) as second

Instead of using Division 1 and 2, Gold or Premier Division, and Championship or Green Division can be adopted. Market Green Division (Division 2) aggressively; celebrate Green Division champions with the same media fanfare as Gold Division (Division 1) while emphasizing the promotion pathway.

The organizers must dedicate specific channels or time slots to Green Division; stream the contest online, and highlight Green Division finals on main channels.

CONCLUSION: A CALL TO ACTION

The NSMQ has evolved many times since its creation in 1993. The competition has expanded from just 32 schools to about 172 and now reaches audiences both on television and online.

The world has changed since 1993, and our understanding of equity, opportunity, and structural disadvantage has deepened.

We now recognize that talent is evenly distributed across Ghana, but opportunity is not.

It is time to move beyond asking whether under-resourced schools can compete with Category A giants. They cannot, not fairly, not consistently, not without structural change. Instead, we should ask: How can we create a system where every school can compete meaningfully, where every achievement is celebrated?

The brilliance of Ghana's youth is everywhere. A competition that celebrates that brilliance more broadly could inspire even more students to pursue science, innovation, and discovery. And that would be a victory for Ghana as a whole.