Date: 2016-11-30

No fewer than 250 students on Tuesday participated in an inter-schools Mathematics and English competition in Omu-Aran, Kwara, organised by SOK Foundation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the annual competition attracted junior and senior secondary students across 30 schools in Irepodun and Oke-Ero Local Government areas of the state.

The competition was held at the examination hall of Government Secondary School (GSS), Omu-Aran.

The President of the foundation, Mr Sunday Kunle, said the competition was to make the study of the two subjects more attractive and competitive to students. Kunle said the competition, since its inception about 15 years ago, had produced winners who had excelled in their various chosen academic fields.

He said that the foundation, through in-depth research, discovered that most students had developed a kind of phobia for the study of the two important subjects.

"We discovered that the students are now scared and uncomfortable when it comes to the study of English and Mathematics.

"These are very important and relevant subjects which every student must pass convincingly to assist in their future academic pursuits. "So, it is our belief that the competition will provide the opportunity for students to compete and interact for optimum performance," he said.

Kunle said the foundation had introduced monetary reward of N10, 000 for the two overall best students in both the junior and senior categories aside other gifts. He promised that the organisers would continue to employ honesty and transparency in deciding the winners of the competition.

Kunle urged other wealthy individuals and groups to join hands with the foundation in its efforts toward transforming the education sector. Mr David Adeyanju, a parent, praised the foundation for its selfless contribution toward education development.

Adeyanju expressed the support of parents to sustain the competition for overall benefit of the students. Master Ibiloye Abeeb, a participant, thanked the organisers for their foresight and urged them to maintain the tempo.

Some schools that participated included Ogbo Grammar School, Omu-Aran, Federal Government Girls College, Omu-Aran and Omu-Aran High School. Others are Landmark University Secondary School, Omu-Aran, Models International Nursery and Primary as well as Al-furqon Nursery and Primary School, Omu-Aran.NAN