EIGHT primary and preparatory schools are vying for top honours in the seventh staging of the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) Tourism Quiz Competition.

Two quarter-final matches have already been contested, with the remaining matches scheduled for Tuesday, July 7 and Thursday, July 9, at 6:30 pm and 6:20 pm, respectively, on Television Jamaica (TVJ). Both matches will be rebroadcast the following day at 8:30 am.

The semi-final matches are scheduled for July 14 and 16, with the grand finale and awards presentation set for July 21.

Speaking in an interview with JIS News, TPDCo’s Corporate Communications and Community Awareness Coordinator Marline Stephenson Dalley encouraged Jamaicans to tune in and support the young contestants.

“You cannot afford to miss it! You’re going to learn a lot, you’re going to be entertained, and you are going to be able to share the excitement of the children, and their willpower, and their teamwork, and the camaraderie that they display,” she said.

The schools competing in the quarter-finals are St Hugh’s Preparatory School, Goshen Primary School, Naggo Head Primary School, Ardenne Preparatory School, St Ann’s Bay Primary School, Creative Kids Learning Academy, Mandeville Primary School, and Mona Preparatory School.

The competition began with 32 schools participating in preliminary rounds held in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, and Kingston.

The quiz tests students’ knowledge of Jamaica’s tourism product, world tourism, current affairs, and subjects aligned with the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) curriculum, including mathematics and social studies.

“We have also introduced Spanish, because we know that in the industry it is just so important to have another language,” Stephenson Dalley noted.

She commended the resilience of participating schools, particularly those in western Jamaica that were affected by Hurricane Melissa.

“One of the things this year which I think struck us as very positive was that, even in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa…our resilience came out very, very strongly. A lot of the schools that emerged and agreed to participate, some of them were also affected badly by the hurricane but they pulled up their socks, pulled up their fighting spirit, and they jumped into the competition,” she said.

Stephenson Dalley also expressed appreciation to principals, coaches and teachers for supporting the initiative.

“Without the schools, without the coaches, without the blessings of the principals and so forth, we don’t have a competition. We are very happy that this year we were able to, again, have 32 schools participating,” she said.

Stephenson Dalley noted that every participant receives a certificate and commemorative gift package, while winners will also enjoy a range of tourism experiences.

— JIS News