The Babile Youth Development Association (BYDA) has held its maiden inter-school quiz among junior high schools (JHSs) in the Babile Circuit as part of efforts to ensure hard work by the pupils. The BYDA organised the competition in partnership with the Lawra Municipal Education Directorate on various subjects. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency after the quiz, Mr Gregory T. Tengzu, the Bipola Naa (Youth Chief) of Babile, said the initiative was to motivate the children to take their studies seriously to improve their academic performance. It was also a platform for the youth and stakeholders to educate parents on the need to show interest in their children's education. 'We the youth have realised that the interest of the children in education is not as it used to be, so we, in consultation with the elders of Babile, directed that no child should be found outside after 10 p.m.,' Mr Tengzu said. 'But we need to let the children understand why we are saying they should stay in their houses and learn so we thought that the quiz competition is one of the ways to let them appreciate the importance of learning.' Mr Tengzu noted that the competition would be an annual activity and called on benevolent individuals and organisations to support the initiative to improve the education of the youth. Mr Vitus Dapilah Kadoe, the Reagent of Babile, urged the chiefs and parents to embrace the initiative to improve educational outcomes. 'I am so excited about this initiative of the Babile youth. It is something that will improve education in this area,' he noted. 'What we have all witnessed here is encouraging. Let's support it so it will not be a nine-day wonder.' Mr Addison Buure, the School Improvement Support Officer, Babile Circuit, commended the BYDA for the initiative and called on the head teachers to always engage their students in such competitions. That would help improve the children's performance and uplift the names of their schools. Mr Livinus Banabal Koglee, a Mental Health Officer, Babile Polyclinic, sensitised the school children to mental health issues and how they could reduce the risk of suffering such conditions. He said irresponsible parenting and ignorance of mental health issues were among factors that caused mental illnesses, especially among the youth. He advised the children against drug abuse, which could easily lead to mental illness. Nine JHSs in the Circuit went through a zonal competition and the best two schools from each zone were selected to participate in the competition, organised at the Babile 'A' M/A JHS. The Babile A and B M/A JHSs, Tanchara M/A JHS, Biro M/A JHS, and Birifoh M/A JHS participated in the quiz. Brifoh M/A JHS emerged the winner, followed by Babile 'B' (second), and Biro M/A JHS came third. Source: Ghana News Agency