The Akuse Volta River Authority International School Limited (VISL) in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality in the Eastern Region was crowned winner of this year's Eastern Region Bookworm Reading Competition with six individual awards out of nine finalists from lower primary, upper primary and junior high schools in the region.
The award ceremony was held at the GNAT Teachers Hall in Accra last Saturday and was organised by Bookworm Avenue Consult.
Awards
Danwilliams Seyram Hodzi came first, while Zera Narobi was the second runner-up for the lower primary category.
For Upper Primary, Esaba Mensah Darkwah emerged tops, followed by Gladys Ama Ampomah.
In the junior high school category, Nana Oye Adom Quaye was the first runner-up, with Nina Emefa Dzenku finishing third.
The first prize was a laptop, a memento, souvenirs from the sponsors, a 50 per cent educational scholarship for one year and a trip to Dubai with 50 per cent of the expenses covered.
The first runner-up received a tablet, souvenirs from the sponsors, a 30 per cent educational scholarship for one year and a trip to Dubai with 30 per cent of the expenses covered, while the second runner-up also received a tablet, souvenirs from the sponsors, a 20 per cent educational scholarship for one year and a trip to Dubai with 20 per cent of the expenses covered.
At the end of the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of Bookworm Avenue Consult, Nelson Kofi Poku noted with concern that in an era where distractions were many and reading habits were declining, Bookworm had taken over the mandate to make reading attractive, competitive and rewarding for pupils and students.
The CEO of Bookworm Consult explained that through its flagship initiative, "The Bookworm Competition", the organisation created a platform where learners improved their comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking and public confidence while imbibing values and life lessons embedded in literature.
He said having impacted over 10 regions out of the 16 across Ghana, Bookworm Avenue Consult had reached thousands of learners, dozens of schools and hundreds of teachers and parents who cooperated very well to make the competitions successful.
"Our competitions have not only improved academic performance but have also helped many children discover their love for books, develop self-discipline and the habit of lifelong learning,” he said.
VISL MD
The Managing Director of VISL, Eric Mensah Bonsu said the competition sent a signal that educators should bring back reading to all basic schools, as reading played a vital role in the just-ended competition.
"Let me be very frank here; VISL sweeping six good awards out of the nine for the region is not by coincidence.
We have invested in our library facility and our learners, with support from the teachers, made good use of it; hence our six awards", Mr Bonsu, stated.
He said reading made a leader and congratulated the contestants on their confidence level throughout the competition, urging the contestants to keep it up.
The award winners, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, dedicated their awards to the teachers and their parents for their relentless support throughout the competition.
