A total of 25 KwaZulu-Natal schools took part in this year's quiz, with a team of four boys from Glenwood High School emerging as the champions. The winning Glenwood team was also presented with their trophy at this event and witnessed the delight of the representatives from Cato Crest Primary School they had nominated as recipients of the books.
Sally Juckes, BDO audit partner said that the annual event, now in its fourth year, was proving to be increasingly popular. "We at BDO are extremely proud of this initiative and the fact that it enriches the lives of so many children - both by encouraging learners to expand their knowledge and strive for excellence and by providing essential reading material for youngsters in need."
Koliwe Mbatha, deputy principal of Cato Crest Primary School, thanked Glenwood for choosing their school to receive the books and said that the books would be treasured. More than 1,180 learners from disadvantaged backgrounds attend the school which has been in existence for 13 years. The new books, donated jointly by BDO and Books & Books Durban North, will add to the school's limited existing collection which is housed in a small building that will now become the library.
The winning Glenwood team - Grade 11 learners Gabriel Davies, Siphelele Mkhize, Noven Naidoo and Timothy Thumbi - were prepared for the event by Vish Naidoo, a teacher who had participated in the first BDO school quiz while he was still at school. The team's score of 81% in the quiz earned them the winner's trophy, an Apple iPod shuffle from BDO and the privilege of selecting the disadvantaged school to receive the R10,00 worth of books.
The competition, now in its fourth year, is open to Grade 10 and 11 learners at schools in KZN. Teams made up of four pupils are selected by their school to compete in a round robin competition against other school teams. Each team is asked a series of general knowledge questions and the top two teams go through to the final.
