Under the patronage of HE Dr. Mohammed Abdul Wahed Al Hammadi, Minister of Education and Higher Education, the Qatar e-Nature School Contest 2018 concluded with an awards ceremony at the Sheraton Hotel. Sasol, the international integrated chemicals and energy company, launched the contest in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Friends of the Environment Centre (FEC).
The closing ceremony included the final round of the contest, in which the five finalist schools showed strong competition as they answered live questions. The ceremony was attended by Fatima Al Obaidli, Head of Programs and Activities at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education; representatives of Sasol, FEC, and the media; and families and teachers of the participating students.
Lebanese School emerged as the winner of the contest, and its three-student team walked away with a voucher worth QAR 9000 and gold medals. Markhiya Primary School for Girls was the runner up, winning a voucher worth QAR 6000 and silver medals, while Al Manar International School came third, winning a voucher worth QAR 4500 and bronze medals, Abi Ayoub Al Ansari School came fourth, wining a voucher worth QAR 3,000, and Global Academy International came fifth, wining a voucher worth QAR 1,500.
Al Obaidli commented: “Qatar e-Nature school contest is gaining increasing popularity among students and schools. Enriching knowledge and promoting awareness of the national environment, the contest is in line with the Ministry’s vision and objectives of building an enlightened generation of leaders. We are pleased with this initiative and this cooperation with Sasol, and we look forward to further cooperation in the future.”
321 students from 63 government schools and 44 private schools participated in this year’s edition of the Qatar e-Nature school contest, which consisted of a series of interactive elimination rounds. Dynamic students competed vigorously to answer questions that tested their knowledge about plants, mammals, insects, reptiles, birds, and the marine life in Qatar based on information available on Qatar e-Nature smartphone application and website.
FEC Deputy Director Youssuf Al Khulaifi said: “Building a generation aware of its country’s nature and able to protect the environment is our key objective at FEC. This takes time, but the school contest adds entertaining and competitive elements, helping to advance this process and cause. We thank Sasol and renew our commitment to provide the necessary support. We also thank the Ministry of Education and Higher Education for its continuous help and support.”
For his part, Phinda Vilakazi, President of GTL Ventures at Sasol, said, “Qatar e-Nature contest is an edutainment tool that certainly helps raise the future generation’s awareness of the importance of Qatar’s nature and the need to preserve it. We thank the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and the FEC for being our partners over the past five years, and we look forward to further cooperation in the years to come.”
Qatar e-Nature app and website, a Sasol initiative launched in cooperation with FEC in 2013, highlights Qatar’s flora, birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, marine life and nature reserves in the country in Arabic and English. The user-friendly app, which won four awards including two prestigious regional awards, is available for download free of charge on Apple Store, Google Play store, and Windows Phone Store and on the website www.enature.qa.