St. Augustine’s College (AUGUSCO) has formally objected to a decision by the Sharks Quiz organisers to re-stage the quarterfinal contest against Keta Senior High Technical School (KETASCO), citing concerns over procedural fairness and academic accuracy.
In a letter dated March 21, 2026, Rev. Fr. Patrick Godfred Appiah, Headmaster of St. Augustine’s College, argued that the re-run and the request from KETASCO to be declared winners “pose a grave risk to the credibility and integrity” of the competition.
The controversy arose over a tie-breaker question regarding Greek tragedy, where AUGUSCO answered “Peripeteia”, the term denoting the climax or reversal of fortune in classical drama. KETASCO contested the ruling, proposing “Climax” as an acceptable answer. The Academic Board initially upheld AUGUSCO’s answer, declaring them the winners.
In the letter, AUGUSCO emphasized that academic precision is crucial in Olympiad-level competitions and that procedural rules dictate that protests should be raised before results are declared, not after. The College also stated that it has sought legal counsel and is prepared to pursue all available legal remedies should the organisers proceed with a re-run or declare KETASCO winners.
AUGUSCO commended the Sharks Quiz and the Academic Talent Development Programme for fostering intellectual rigor but stressed that the integrity of the contest must be protected against external pressures.
The Sharks Quiz, a prominent national competition, pits senior high schools against each other in rapid-fire problem-solving challenges across academic disciplines. This quarterfinal clash has drawn widespread attention due to the unusual nature of the dispute and the potential implications for the competition’s rules and reputation.
The Academic Board has not yet issued a response to AUGUSCO’s letter, leaving the fate of the contested quarterfinal in question.
