It’s all systems go for mathematically eligible learners. The week of the 9-13th of May 2016 will be a mentally crucial week for many South African scholars. High school learners who made it through to the second round of the South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO) will be testing their problem solving skills in the second leg of the Olympiad. Grade 4-7 learners will also be writing the first round of the South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC).
A record number of 86 045 learners from 1 040 schools participated in the First Round of the SAMO on the 9th of March. 17 104 learners from 795 schools who have attained 50% or higher qualified for the Second Round to be written on the 11th of May. There are two levels: junior (grade 8 and 9) and senior (grade 10 to12) and learners have two hours to complete 20 questions. The best 100 senior and best 100 junior learners from the second round qualify for the Final Round on the 27th of July. The top 3 learners per province from each level will be awarded at their individual provincial awards in September.
Gauteng and Limpopo Education Departments supported the newly selected Maths, Science and Technology (MST) schools to participate in the 1st round of the SAMO. A total of 87 Gauteng and Limpopo MST schools in took part in First Round of the SAMO of which 26 qualified for the Second Round. The Department of Basic Education implemented the MST project in 2015 and a total of 211 primary and 503 secondary schools countrywide were selected. The project pro-actively encourages the development of critical subjects such as mathematics and science and caters for learners who are still underperforming in these subjects.
Joe Mwase, Divisional Director of Corporate Affairs at Liberty, the main sponsor of the SAMO, highlighted the importance of encouraging a love for mathematics in young learners. “Mathematics plays a critical role not only as a subject allowing the youth of our country to provide scare skills to our economy, but as a subject that stimulates analytical and problem solving abilities in everyday life. By participating in the SAMO, learners are pushing themselves beyond what would be required of them in the classrom. This extra effort will go far in contributing to their success in high school, their tertiary education and ultimately their professional careers. Well done to all the learners that have made it through to the Second Round of the SAMO. Liberty wishes them luck as they write on the 11th of May,” explains Mr Mwase.
Speaking on behalf of The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), co-sponsor of the SAMO, Executive Director of Nation Building Chantyl Mulder expressed SAICA’s delight at the number of learners involved in this year’s Olympiad and wished all the participants taking part in the second round good luck. “Reaching the second round is a significant achievement that demonstrates not just a talent for mathematics and problem solving, but also your willingness to learn and challenge yourself. South Africa – and the chartered accountancy profession – is in dire need of talented core mathematics learners like you. Good luck!”
The First Round of the SAMC is open to any Grade 4 to 7 learner and will be written at participating schools between 9-13 May 2016. The competition aims to generate an interest in mathematics and to promote a broader perspective on the nature of mathematical activity, including that mathematical activity is more than calculating. The Challenge consists of separate papers for Grade 4, 5, 6 and 7. Each paper is an hour long and consists of 20 multiple choice questions. More than 104 000 learners from 376 schools participated in the first round of the 2015 SAMC.
The Final Round of the SAMC is for learners who achieved 50% or more in the First Round. It is written at central venues or participating schools. An important aim with the Final Round is for learners to interact with others in the context of mathematics as a social activity – participants communicate with and about mathematics.
Professor Johann Engelbrecht, Executive Director at the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) would like to wish all the learners the best of luck. “Advancing to the second round of the SAMO is a huge stepping stone to being one of the top mathematical minds in the country. All the primary school learners who are writing the SAMC should do their best to advance to the second round and once they get to high school they can also take part in the SAMO,” explained Professor Engelbrecht.
The national SAMF awards will take place on the 24th of September and will honour learners, teachers and schools who have done well in the SAMO, SAMC and other SAMF projects throughout the year. The awards include the top performing and top participating schools in the SAMC and SAMO, as well as the SAMO’s junior and senior top 10 national medallists.
The SAMO and SAMC are organised by the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF). For more information call 012 392 9372 or send an email to info@samf.ac.za
