NSMQ 2026: Ashanti Schools Compete in Regional Qualifiers, Big Wigs Miss Out on Automatic Spots
- Almost 100 senior high schools in the Ashanti Region will contest 21 qualifier matches for spots at the 2026 NSMQ national championship
- KUMACA, KNUST SHS, Kumasi High School, St. Louis SHS and Yaa Asantewaa Girls' SHS are among the schools returning through the qualifiers
- The Ashanti Region has a history of qualifier upsets, with lesser-known schools previously eliminating established contenders
Ninety-eight senior high schools in the Ashanti Region will compete across 21 contests during the 2026 National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) Regional Qualifiers, as one of Ghana's most keenly watched qualification campaigns prepares to get underway.
The region, widely considered one of the most competitive in the entire NSMQ ecosystem, will see schools battle for places at this year's national championship, with qualification far from guaranteed for even its most decorated institutions.
Source: Facebook
Adomonline reported that five schools with significant NSMQ pedigree are among those who must navigate the regional round: Kumasi Academy (KUMACA), KNUST SHS, Kumasi High School, St. Louis SHS and Yaa Asantewaa Girls' SHS.
None of the five secured automatic qualification for the 2026 championship, meaning they must now earn their place through the regional route.
St. Louis SHS, which advanced to the semi-finals of the 2023 NSMQ, will be looking to recapture that level of performance after a difficult intervening period.
KUMACA, one of the region's most recognisable quiz schools, begins its own push to return to the national stage, while KNUST SHS, Kumasi High School and Yaa Asantewaa Girls' SHS will each be working to stay in contention through the early rounds.
For all five schools, the qualifiers carry significance beyond simply securing a place at the championship. After missing out on automatic spots, this campaign offers a chance to reassert their standing among Ghana's leading science and mathematics quiz schools.
Upsets a Real Possibility
The Ashanti qualifiers have not always gone according to form.
On multiple previous occasions, lesser-known schools have eliminated established contenders, reshaping the qualification picture and underscoring the unpredictability that makes the regional round compelling viewing.
With 98 schools spread across 21 contests, the format places a premium on consistency across knowledge, speed and composure under pressure.
Any lapse from the region's traditional frontrunners could prove costly, given the volume of ambitious schools eager to claim an upset.
Organisers anticipate another fiercely competitive campaign, with attention likely to centre on whether schools such as KUMACA and St. Louis SHS can successfully navigate the regional stage or whether a new wave of schools will emerge to alter the established hierarchy in one of the country's most closely followed NSMQ regions.
Source: YEN.com.gh
