2015 spelling bee competition launched

Spell Master Education Communication (Smeco), organisers of Malawi’s inter school and individual spelling contest, the National Spell Master Spelling Bee, have partnered with Zodiak Television for the fourth season of the competition.

The competition engages brains from primary and secondary schools, to a spelling challenge of a broad selection of words, usually with a varying degree of difficulty. The competition was launched in 2011 to improve education and literacy in Malawi.

The partnership gives Zodiak Television exclusive rights to beam the 2015 competition.

Speaking during the launch Smeco board chairperson Shemu Joya, said the project is beneficial to Malawi’s education.

“It benefits both primary and secondary school students, even further to the university. Therefore, I would like to plead with the corporate world to support the Spell Master Spelling Bee project so that it can reach out to rural areas,” he said.

Gospel Kazako, managing director of Zodiak Broadcasting Station said apart from improving the reading culture, the spelling bee project provides companies and organisations with an opportunity to advertise on the programme as it also offers entertainment to viewers.

“For students, the brain of a child is like a blank CD which can easily be programmed with either positive or negative things. The spelling bee project is the best ever for a Malawian school child and let me emphasise the importance of companies and NGOs to come together in sponsoring the spelling bee in an effort to reach out to the most rural child,” he said.

Season 4 spelling bees starts in November and the winner will walk away with a grand prize of K1 million.

This year, the competition will be conducted in all education divisions of Malawi and registration of contestants is currently underway. n