The Radio Quiz Competition

The Radio Quiz Competition runs live every Sunday and is broadcast by Nakaseke Community Radio. Three schools are hosted on each show, with each school represented by two pupils in a live question and answer session. A panel of teachers conducts the quiz, and the programme is run by teachers and principals of the different schools with the help from the radio staff. These teachers set questions, examine pupils, and also provide more correct answers and explanations to questions if the pupils are incorrect. School heads also provide transport for their children to the station and back. Local organisations have also been very influential in this programme, providing prizes (scholastic materials) awarded to best performers, some buy air time for the quiz sessions, and some have provided full and half bursaries to best performing pupils.

The Radio Quiz Competition is held every year and in 2012 attracted 62 primary schools. In 2012 the winner was Semuto Parents School, and in 2013 His Grace Primary School. 

According to Nakaseke, education is one the station’s main programme focus. The Radio Quiz Competition is focused on all schools in the district, which has a total of 95 primary schools (both government and private), and 13,401 pupils, with a 1:75 teacher – pupil ratio. These schools are scattered in different localities, thus making transport to the radio station difficult and unfortunately limiting participation, but the radio broadcast is intended to bridge the geographical gap and help educate the students who are unable to compete.

Education, Technology

According to an evaluation carried out by the District Education authorities and the District Teachers’ Association (DTA), since the project's establishment in 2006, the competition has helped to:

• promote confidence among the learners;
• raise the academic standards in Nakaseke district and Uganda at large;
• enable teachers from government and private schools to share views and ideas related to increasing academic performance;
• enable teachers to evaluate their teaching;
• promote the competition amongst the students, providing them with motivation to succeed; and/li>
• expose the pupils to an educational environment beyond the classroom.

According to Nakaseke, the programme provides educational motivation to many of the pupils who participate in the radio broadcast, and they continue learning beyond the competition. It has been found that students who took part in the programme, and answered questions in front of the live radio audience, gained confidence in their abilities during the broadcast. Reading and listening skills have increased amongst the participating schools. Pupils have also benefited from the free computer trainings every year provided by Nakaseke Telecentre.