Al-Qalam 
By Nabeelah Shaikh
Durban’s Mohammed Sayfullah Khan, 16, is a whizz-kid: The grade 11 pupil who attends Orient Islamic School recently emerged victorious at The IIE’s Varsity College’s annual National High Schools Quiz.
The competition was held at the institution’s Durban North campus. He went up against 300 grade 9 to 11 pupils across South Africa who participated in the event. Khan outshone them all and is now being dubbed “one of the smartest kids in the land”.
The competition was tough, and he was faced with 300 complex questions in three rounds across six categories. This included current affairs, history, geography, science, nature, as well as sport, and entertainment.
Judges said Mohammed demonstrated not only an exceptional grasp of academic material but also a remarkable general knowledge and ability to perform well under pressure.
Mohammed was ecstatic about his win and said he spent much of his time watching a lot of Al Jazeera News. He says he also watched the Who Wants to be a Millionaire game show to gain important current affairs knowledge.
“I relied on Wikipedia for my interests in world history, science, and geography. Additionally, I actively sought out trivia questions and quizzes online to enhance my general knowledge in preparation for the quiz,” he said.
Mohammed’s mother, Bilkis Khan, said she was very proud of her son’s achievement. She said Mohammed had shown signs of being a genius ever since he was a little boy. He showed interest in current affairs and always kept up to date with what was happening around him.
“From the time he was little, I used to sit with him and we used to learn new things and improve our general knowledge together. We would consistently have the news on at home, and watch Al Jazeera. I would teach him things about different topics like the highest mountain peaks and other general knowledge questions to make him get a better understanding of what is going on in the world,” said Bilkis Khan.
She said when he started Grade R, his teachers were shocked by his brilliant general knowledge.
“He is someone that just knows so much. You can talk politics and have adult conversations with him, and he would be able to give you answers or carry out conversations about complex situations,” said the mother.
Varsity College head of Communications, Sarnelia Mandapalli, said the response from schools across the country to this year’s quiz has been phenomenal.
“The quiz has achieved great success, with intense and exhilarating rounds culminating in the selection of only eight exceptional individuals. This initiative not only encourages learners to improve their general knowledge skills, which boosts confidence and improves academic performance but also ensures more productive and valuable screen time. It was an inspiring display of talent and determination, reminding us once again of the incredible potential of the nation’s youth,” Mandapalli said.
Mohammed walked away with a R10 000 cash prize as well as R10 000 for his school, and a further R5 000 for his proud teacher and coach Rashida Asmal.
He said he plans to save his winnings until he identifies a good cause to spend it on.
