The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) has announced that senior high schools across Ghana will not participate in the 2025 edition of the National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) due to a severe funding problem.

The decision marks the first time in decades that the prestigious academic competition faces a nationwide boycott from second-cycle institutions.

In a letter dated October 3, 2025, and addressed to the Managing Director of Primetime Limited — the organisers of the NSMQ — CHASS expressed deep regret over the inability of schools to take part in the upcoming competition.

The association cited the “non-availability of funds” as the main reason schools cannot mobilise and prepare students for the event.

“Schools will not be able to participate in the balloting and subsequently, the Quiz competition due to non-availability of funds to mobilise and organise their students to take part,” the statement, signed by CHASS National Secretary Baro Primus, read.

CHASS further assured the organisers that it remains committed to supporting academic excellence but must first prioritise financial prudence amid the current funding challenges facing second-cycle institutions.

The group added that once the government releases the needed funds, it will “review its position and communicate accordingly.”

The letter was copied to key education stakeholders, including the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), the President of CHASS, and all Regional Chairmen of the association.

Background

The National Science and Maths Quiz, established in 1993 and produced by Primetime Limited, has become Ghana’s most celebrated inter-school academic competition, aimed at promoting science and mathematics education among senior high school students.

Over the years, it has been supported by the Ministry of Education, the GES, and several corporate sponsors.

However, just within this year, under President John Dramani Mahama administration, have seen growing financial strain within the country’s secondary school system.

Under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy, currently managed by the National Democratic Congress

government funding has become the lifeline for most schools, with many heads complaining about delayed disbursements for feeding, academic activities, and administrative operations.

In past editions, schools relied on internally generated funds and government grants to transport, lodge, and prepare their contestants for the NSMQ.

The current financial impasse, however, has made such preparations impossible.

Wider Implications

The withdrawal of CHASS poses a serious challenge to the 2025 NSMQ calendar, as the competition heavily depends on active participation from schools across the country.

Without the involvement of public senior high schools, the event risks being postponed or drastically reduced in scope.

Education analysts have described CHASS’s decision as a wake-up call to government authorities to address the persistent funding gaps affecting the Free SHS programme managed by the NDC government.

The issue, they argue, extends beyond the quiz, as many schools have been struggling to finance extracurricular and academic enrichment activities for students.

Primetime Limited is yet to issue a formal response to CHASS’s announcement.

However, sources close to the organisers have expressed concern about the potential disruption to a competition that has, for over three decades, inspired generations of Ghanaian students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).