Three brainy, young Capetonians on way to US after winning quiz

THREE Grove Primary School pupils and a teacher will soon be making their way to Florida after winning a science and maths quiz.

The brainy trio – Rameez Chicktay, Amin Banderker and Kayur Ranchod, who are all 13 years old – travelled to Johannesburg last week to participate in the final of Nickelodeon Genius, a children’s quiz from Nickelodeon and Melrose Cheese.

Technology teacher Hayley Alford entered the three in the competition and helped for months to prepare them for the challenge.

“We just went to see how far we could get and we won. They worked incredibly hard,” she said of the three pupils she had taught for many years.

Alford said they had found a number of practice quizzes on the internet and practised scores of tough questions.

“They really did a lot of prep themselves. I would throw questions at them whenever I saw them.”

She described the trio as “great little chaps”.

“They deserve it. They are very quiet and humble. They are just over the moon. Their friendship has been cemented for life.”

Alford said they, with a chaperone for each child, would travel to Florida in October.

They would spend a week visiting the Kennedy Space Centre and the Universal Orlando Theme Park. Alford hoped she would also be able to take the pupils to Disney World.

Thousands of primary school pupils, between the age of 9 and 13 from Grades 3 to 7 in the Western Cape and Gauteng, had applied to compete in the quiz.

Alford said the support of the school community had been amazing. When she announced the news on Tuesday, “the whole school just erupted in tears”.

Alford said a number of younger children had been inspired to participate in next year’s competition.