The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) announced that entries are open for the annual South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC) and Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO). Entries opened on Wednesday 11 January 2023 and close on Friday 24 February.
Mathematics teachers nationwide can register their learners for the country’s biggest and most prestigious mathematics competitions until the end of next month. The SAMC is open to Grade 4 to 7, while the SAMO (co-sponsored by the South African Institute for Chartered Accountants, SAICA) caters for Grade 8 to 12.
As their names suggest, these programmes challenge learners to think outside the box. They do not test the learners based on the mathematics curriculum, but on their ability to analyse a problem and think analytically.
Dr Belinda Huntley, head of the department of mathematics at St Catherine’s Convent in Johannesburg and chairperson of the SAMF’s Advisory Committee on Mathematics (ACM), said: “As educators, we want to equip our learners with the necessary skills so they can read the problem and ask, ‘What tools can I use from my toolkit to answer these problems?’ It is not that these problems are so difficult, but they’re asked from a different angle – from a different dimension.”
Last year’s winner of the SAMO, Emmanuel Rassou said mathematics is a challenging subject for many people. “If you want to participate in this year’s competitions my advice is to persevere,” he said. “Although the questions are very challenging, you should never give up. Everyone has that problem solving ability in them. You should use your teachers as a resource if you have trouble understanding a question.”
Celiwe Ross, Director: Group Strategy & Group Human Capital at Old Mutual, added education is integral to their responsible business strategy at her company. “Our holistic support spans the entire education value chain, from early childhood development to comprehensive financial education programmes targeted at a wide range of audiences,” he said.
Parents who want their children to participate must contact the school’s maths teacher, who could register the learners using the printable registration form on the SAMF website. Online entries are open from early February.
