THE EDITOR, Sir:
I HAVE been watching this 35th anniversary season of TVJ's Schools' Challenge Quiz with great interest since it began earlier this year. I have a few concerns that I have kept to myself since I began watching the matches. Last Wednesday night's match between Gaynstead High and Kingston College left me so disappointed that I felt it necessary to make a few comments.
I do not know who is responsible for some of the questions used in the matches, or how the judges make decisions regarding the accuracy of some answers, but I do feel that Gaynstead High was unfairly treated. They were asked to identify a Junior government minister, Dr. Donald Rhodd, and because they did not pronounce his surname 'Rhodd' correctly, they were told their answer was incorrect.
However, when Kingston College was asked to name a Jamaican river, the Rio Minho, they mispronounced 'Minho' yet they were given the point. It is obvious that both teams knew the answers to their respective questions and both mispronounced their answers yet one team gained a point while the other did not.
Some may argue that this situation would not severely affect the outcome of the match, nevertheless, had I been a member of that Gaynstead High team, I would probably think that preferential treatment was meted to Kingston College since they are one of the top schools expected to take the championship. This kind of treatment does not foster good competition.
I know it has been a tradition to have a media personality as the 'host' for these matches, but I feel that some well respected academic would probably make a better 'quizmaster'.
I am also concerned about the type of questions being asked. Why so many popular music and film questions? I would encourage the sponsors and donors of prizes to press the producers for an improvement in the standard of School's Challenge Quiz for the sake of our students.
I am, etc.,
I.C. BROWN
jubal16@yahoo.co.uk
Via Go-Jamaica
