Successful inaugural Metro Life Sciences Challenge hosted at De Kuilen High School

The first-ever Metro Interschools Life Sciences Challenge has been hailed as a success, with teams from 37 schools participating in the competition hosted by the Metro East and Metro North Education Districts on Saturday 18 April at De Kuilen High School in Kuils River.

Parklands College claimed top honours, with Malibu High School finishing second, followed by Melkbosstrand and Stellenberg sharing third place.

The brainchild of Jeremy Dietsiso, vice-principal and life sciences teacher at De Kuilen, the competition aimed to foster academic excellence and healthy competition among Grade 10 to 12 life sciences learners. “The aim of the competition is to show that science is fun,” said Dietsiso. “We want to cultivate a love for science among our learners.”

Competition tests multiple skills

Each team consisted of six learners drawn from Grades 10 to 12, with a maximum of two Grade 12 learners per team. Schools held preliminary assessments in March to select their top six representatives for Saturday’s finals.

On Saturday, learners warmed up with a rapid-fire round where one learner from each school had to answer questions on the spot. In round one, learners completed a questionnaire individually on their phones or computers before teams were divided into pairs who went to workstations testing practical skills, observation and identification abilities.

The competition focused on strengthening learners’ competencies in multiple areas including terminology usage, scientific concept analysis, and understanding the applications of life sciences in everyday life and indigenous knowledge.

At the announcement of the winners, Dietsiso noted that all of the top performing schools scored above 87%. The initial results showed a three-way tie for third place, but Centre of Science and Technology was eliminated after a closely contested tie-breaker round involving the strongest team members.

Learners’ experience

Cayden Presence, Grade 10 learner from second-placed Malibu High School, described the event as “one of the most exciting opportunities I was privileged to have”. Despite initial nerves, she found the difficulty manageable and appreciated exposure to higher-grade content. She enjoyed “the atmosphere of learners from different backgrounds” and the opportunity to make new friends while competing.

Her Grade 12 teammate Misqah Solomon praised how the competition required interlinking different life sciences concepts “because it made me think on a deeper level”. She said the experience improved her teamwork skills and confidence under pressure. “I’m so grateful that Mr Dietsiso gave schools the opportunity to participate in a life sciences quiz,” Solomon added.

Winning team member Jenna Simpson (Parklands) called the event an incredible experience. “I am grateful for the experience, for the new things I learnt, and for the conversations I had with my peers,” she said.

Parklands College life sciences teacher Jolandi Gibson praised the event’s organisation and said her learners were extremely proud to compete. “Mr Dietsiso deserves immense credit for organising such a seamless inaugural competition, providing an environment that allowed learners to truly shine,” Gibson said. “His dedication has set a high bar for the future, leaving the life sciences community eager for next year’s competition.”

ALSO READ: Parklands learners reach for the stars at national space design finals

Several sponsors contributed to the event, including Jawitz Properties (donation) and Gift of the Givers (food). Dietsiso also thanked Landeka Diamond, director of MEED, who shares his belief “that this project will expand for years to come”.