For the second consecutive year, a Harmony Primary School Grade 6 team has taken first place at the Phendulani Literacy Quiz, demonstrating what determination, teamwork and a love of reading can achieve.

The 10th anniversary competition, held at Muizenberg Junior School, brought together 102 learners from nine schools in 17 teams. Participants were challenged to demonstrate their knowledge of 12 prescribed books, answering questions on characters, plots and details under pressure.

Harmony’s winning Grade 6 Team 1 owed its success to two terms of sustained effort, guided by dedicated volunteers through the Homework Enrichment Lifeskills Programme (HELP). The learners worked their way through 12 books, including challenging titles and genres they might not otherwise have chosen, persevering with their reading and preparation until quiz day.

Grade 6 educator Colleen Rustin said the experience pushed learners beyond what they believed they could achieve. “The Phendulani experience and process extends learners to a point where they are surprised by the depth of their abilities,” she said.

Harmony’s Grade 7 learners, last year’s winners, also returned to compete despite the demands of their final primary-school year. Balancing prefect duties, assignments and heavy workloads, they took responsibility for their own preparation and secured fourth place with 33 out of 40 marks, just half a point outside the top three.

Their achievement highlighted another important lesson: success is not measured by first place alone. The learners demonstrated perseverance, independence and a willingness to support their younger peers.

Grade 6 learner Hannah Hilario reflected on the pressure of preparing for the competition: “I was so close to quitting but I did not because I wanted to take part in the quiz. I have experienced pressure and the pressure made me stronger.”

For Harmony’s learners, the Phendulani Literacy Quiz was about more than remembering 12 books. It helped build reading confidence, teamwork, resilience and self-belief.

Two consecutive Grade 6 victories are a wonderful achievement, but the lasting success lies in learners discovering what they can accomplish through hard work and determination.