Cape Town - The ninth edition Cape Argus Food Lover’s Schools Quiz gets under way on Monday with the first of the the round robin stages. This year 92 teams from various schools within Cape Town were split into 23 groups of four schools each. The quiz encourages high school pupils to test their knowledge of news and current affairs, based on information found within the pages of the Cape Argus.
Quiz masters will put 40 questions to the teams at each quiz, with teams scoring five points for every correct answer but losing three points for anything they get wrong.
Topics include politics, sport, entertainment and general news.
High schools teams are not only competing for their share of R200 000 in cash but also other prizes.
Many regulars are returning this year, but some new schools have entered too, such as Sea Point High.
Asked why they had entered, the Sea Point team said it gave them an opportunity to do something “non-school-related”.
“The extra-mural activities offered by any school have an important role to play in a child’s holistic development. Cape Argus Food Lover’s Schools Quiz is also a platform where learners can broaden their understanding of the world around them," they said.
“Teachers will often say that the learners’ frame of reference is very limited, simply because they do not read. Learners are unable to interrogate a text because they lack the skill and broader knowledge to do so. The quiz will therefore go some way to broaden their understanding of the world out there.
“Children enjoy the element of competition and the Cape Argus Food Lover’s Schools Quiz offers just that. The monetary incentive is not the only driving force but the opportunity to do something meaningful for oneself and one’s school is a prestigious one.”
Cape Argus editor Aziz Hartley said: “The Cape Argus Food Lover’s School Quiz offers not only the chance for pupils and their schools to win big, but also an opportunity for all of us to see the talents of our future leaders.”