The Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Sasol and Friends of the Environment Centre (FEC) have announced the launch of the 2017 edition of the Qatar e-Nature Schools Contest.
The competition aims to encourage students to discover the beauty and the diversity of nature in Qatar. It will be based on a real-time quiz contest and the information provided on the Qatar e-Nature smartphone application and website, according to a press statement.
The Qatar e-Nature contest will be held across all primary schools in Qatar. Teams of three will be formed from each school; the teams will have one student from years 4, 5 and 6 representing their respective school.
Communication with all primary schools and the team selection process begins today and continues until February 28, 2017. The quarter- and semi-final rounds will take place in March and the finals and award ceremony will occur in April next year, where the winners will be recognised.
The 2017 competition will feature an interactive contest, which will be in the form of a live contest in front of an audience where teams have to answer questions immediately in order to gain points. Winning teams in the early rounds will go on to compete in the finals in April. The contest includes questions on birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, flora and nature reserves of Qatar, in addition to few questions from the curriculum related to the environment.
Commenting on the launch of the fourth edition of the contest, Rima Abu Khadija, director of the Office of Curricula Standards at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, said: “We are very proud to partner with Sasol and Friends of the Environment Centre, who are giving incentives to our young students to actively learn about the nature in Qatar and showcasing the use of technology in enhancing students’ environmental awareness.”
Frahood al-Hajiri, director of FEC, noted: “We would like to warmly thank Sasol for their trust and dedication as we evolve into the fourth year of a fruitful partnership. Moreover, Friends of the Environment Centre recognises the immense support given by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education for this unique application and schools contest.”
Rigard du Plessis, general manager at Sasol Qatar, added: “Through the Qatar e-Nature schools contest and application, Sasol and its partners were able to instil a passion for the nature in the future leaders of the country. Sasol wishes all of the prospective students and schools the best of luck in this year’s competition.”