Qatar e-Nature schools contest finalists named

Five schools have qualified for the finals at the fifth Qatar e-NatureSchools Contest, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education; Sasol,international integrated chemicals and energy company; and Friends ofthe Environment Centre (FEC) have announced.The five finalists are Al Manar International School – Dafna, Abi AyoubAl Ansari Model School, Global Academy International, Lebanese Schooland Markhiya Primary School for Girls.The final round and the awards ceremony will be held on April 18 withthe winners receiving trophies, medals, and vouchers starting fromQR9,000.“The Qatar e-Nature school contest promotes a spirit of competition andlearning, and combines knowledge with fun, which is important inbuilding the generation who will lead the future,” Fatima al-Obaidli,head of Programmes and Activities at the Ministry of Education andHigher Education, said.Some 321 students from 63 public schools and 44 private schools across Qatar took part in the interactive contest.The questions were based on information available on the award-winning Qatar e-Nature smartphone application and website.Phinda Vilakazi, President of GTL Ventures, Sasol, said: “We hope tocall attention to Qatar’s rich and diverse environment, and encouragestudents to learn more about the nature of the country.”FEC director Frahood al-Hajiri stressed that: “Our contribution to thedevelopment of the Qatar e-Nature app stems from our love for Qatar’srich nature and the need to protect it.”“This is a responsibility that must be passed on to the next generation in order to secure a better future for Qatar,” he added.During the competition, students answered questions live to gain points and win.The five-day quarter-finals ended with 25 schools qualifying for the semi-finals, which were held over two days.This year’s contest was designed to be more challenging in terms of thetype of questions, the level of skills, and the style of thecompetition.Qatar e-Nature app, a Sasol initiative launched in co-operation with FECin 2013, highlights the country’s flora, birds, insects, mammals,reptiles, marine life and nature reserves in the country in Arabic andEnglish.The user-friendly app has won four awards, including two prestigiousregional awards, and it is available for download free of charge onApple Store, Google Play store, and Windows Phone Store and on thewebsite www.enature.qa.