ANSSOSA demands independent probe into Anlo SHS walk-off at NSMQ

The Anlo Secondary School Old Students’ Association (ANSSOSA) has raised concerns over Primetime Limited’s decision following the walk-off by contestants from Anlo SHS during the One-Eighth Stage Contest 9 of the 2026 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ).

In a statement signed by its National President, Aaron Andy Mensah Hanyabui, the Association said it had taken note of the events that occurred on August 26, 2026, at the Centre for National Culture Auditorium in Cape Coast, where Anlo SHS competed against St. Augustine’s College and Kumasi High School.

ANSSOSA described Primetime Limited’s determination of the matter as unrelated to, and failing to address, what it considered the substantive issues that triggered the walk-off and brought the contest to an abrupt end.

According to the Association, Primetime stated in a letter and Facebook post issued on August 26 that Anlo SHS and Kumasi High School had breached competition rules by communicating with their teachers and subsequently staging a walk-off on the instruction of Anlo SHS’s teacher.

Primetime consequently declared St. Augustine’s College the winner after determining that the school had not breached the rules and had the highest score at the time the contest ended.

ANSSOSA, however, said several fundamental questions surrounding the incident remained unanswered.

It questioned whether St. Augustine’s College breached the rules by challenging an answer after the round had ended and the results had been announced; whether the Quiz Mistress’s answers were correct or had been approved by Primetime’s consultant; and whether the Quiz Mistress had the authority to alter marks awarded in an earlier round during a subsequent round.

The Association also questioned whether a petition that had already been determined in an earlier round could be reopened in a subsequent round.

It further asked whether a school whose petition remained unresolved was entitled to protest the continuation of the contest and pointed to instances where another school had allegedly provided the same answer as Anlo SHS in previous contests and received full marks without objection.

ANSSOSA maintained that Primetime’s decision did not adequately address these issues or explain the circumstances that led to the walk-off and subsequent termination of the contest.

The Association disclosed that, as of August 27, 2026, the management of Anlo SHS had petitioned the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service at the district, regional and national levels to conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the termination of the contest.

It said the petition raised concerns about what it described as unfair treatment and favouritism, which allegedly resulted in St. Augustine’s College receiving two marks it did not earn while Anlo SHS lost a mark it had legitimately earned, thereby affecting the schools’ opportunity to compete fairly for a quarter-final place.

ANSSOSA added that the management of Anlo SHS had also petitioned Primetime on August 27, but said the petition had not been addressed as of the date of its statement.

The Association strongly criticised what it described as favouritism towards St. Augustine’s College by the Quiz Mistress and Primetime.

It cited the alleged refusal to consider Anlo SHS’s petition before proceeding to a new round, the awarding of two marks to St. Augustine’s College while denying Anlo SHS a mark for its Problem of the Day answer because of an omitted unit, and the decision to entertain in Round Three a complaint relating to Round One that had already been determined.

ANSSOSA also questioned how a consultant could recommend a mark for St. Augustine’s College without being aware that Anlo SHS had already provided the expected answer and received marks for it.

The Association said the NSMQ, as a competition of high repute, must not be allowed to suffer from any perception of favouritism, warning that such concerns could undermine the fairness, procedural propriety and integrity of the competition.

ANSSOSA therefore called on Primetime to conduct a thorough and impartial review of the circumstances surrounding the walk-off and abrupt termination of the contest.

It also urged Primetime to formally respond to Anlo SHS’s petition, ensure strict compliance with its competition rules and publicly clarify whether allowing a petition in a subsequent round after it had already been determined constitutes a breach of the rules.

The Association further demanded clarification on whether protesting the continuation of a round while an earlier petition remains unresolved amounts to a breach of the competition rules.

ANSSOSA also called on the Ghana Education Service to independently investigate the matter and make appropriate recommendations to Primetime and other stakeholders to safeguard fairness, competitiveness and transparency in the NSMQ.

The Association reiterated its support for the NSMQ and said it would continue to encourage Anlo SHS to participate in the competition.

However, it stressed that schools should not invest significant time and resources in preparing students for the competition only for them to allegedly lose marks they had rightly earned or feel that another school had been favoured under the guise of enforcing competition rules.