By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani, (Bono), March 23, GNA-Ark FM, a Sunyani-based radio station has ended its fifth edition of the ‘Ark FM Brain Challenge’ for basic schools in the Bono Region, with a call on pupils and students to read widely to achieve high academic laurels.
According to Mr Godwin Atta Andoh Senior, the Managing Director of the Ark FM, they instituted the brain challenge five years ago to help inculcate the culture of reading among school children.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of the closing session of the challenge in Sunyani, Mr Andoh commended the Ghana Education Service and the other partners for their support which had helped sustain the challenge and build the potential of the school children.
He stressed the station’s dedication to help improve quality education through the execution of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme as well as designing and airing programmes that promoted reforms in the education sector.
Mr Kwabena Obeng Akrofi, a morning show host and the Coordinator of the Brain Challenge also told the GNA that Pepsodent, Farmer’s Link Agro-chemical, H-lab, St Ignatius Eye Centre and Cowbell supported the fifth edition of the challenge which started in 2025.
He said 57 public and private Junior High Schools (HJSs) in the region were constituted into four districts, namely Sunyani, Sunyani West and Berekum East municipalities and Berekum district.
Mr Akrofi explained that district championships were organised, adding that 18 schools qualified to compete in the inter-district grand championship which commenced in January 2026 in Sunyani.
He said the inter-district contest was a nine-week group stage and semi-final contests, with the qualified schools entering into the semi-final contests and the grand finale.
The scene at the Nsia-Gyabaa auditorium of the Sunyani Technical University (STU) that hosted the grand finale of the challenge was interesting to behold as the school children exhibited brilliant performance to the admiration of the crowded audience in English, ICT, Mathematics and Integrated Science.
At the end of the contest, the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) Basic School at Fiapre in the Sunyani West Municipality was crowned the winner.
The school secured 78 marks to beat the defending champions, the Sunyani Sacred Heart JHS which had 72 marks.
For their prize, the UENR basic school received GHC5,000, a trophy, citation and a brand-new set of computers, with each of the three participating students receiving tablets with keyboard, gold medal, and certificate as well as some packages from Pepsodent and Cowbell.
Each of the participants of the Sacred Heart JHS also took home a tablet, silver medal, certificate as well as some packages from Pepsodent and Cowbell while other deserving participants also received cash prizes, citations, computers and projectors.
Other prizes comprised of scientific calculators, 8-GB pen drives, bronze medals, certificates, and hampers.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade