Durban — South Africa’s star maths pupils are all set for an international maths competition in Lucknow, India.
The pupils from various schools will participate in the India International Mathematics Competition (InIMC), which starts on July 26 and ends on August 2.
The InIMC is hosted by a different country every year. South Africa hosted the competition in Durban in 2019.
The Junior International Mathematics Competition Organising Body South Africa (JIMCOBSA) said it was guiding the learners every step of the way.
Kitty Phillips, the South African co-ordinator on the IMC international committee, said that JIMCOBSA is a non-profit body responsible for the selection and training of children who will represent South Africa at the IMC.
“Right now the children are at a training camp in Bloemfontein preparing for the IMC which will be hosted in Lucknow, India,” she said with excitement.
Phillips said this year there will be 30 countries from five continents, 980 delegates, and 520 contestants and the pupils will be from Grades 6 to 10.
“They will write individual and team maths papers. They will also enter a puzzle challenge competition. During the week they will participate in a cultural exchange evening where children do a presentation that depicts the culture of their country.
“Our children are doing a dance to the Jerusalema song,” she said.
Phillips said hat this competition is the largest competition for primary and junior high school children in the world.
“The main challenge is that there is no financial help from the Education Department for these children, which means that some talented children do not get the opportunity to try out for a position on the team.”
She also said that memorable achievements are that the competition was successfully hosted in Durban in 2009 and again in 2019.
Phillips was the chairperson of the organising committee in 2019 and had backing and assistance from the eThekwini Municipality, the KZN Convention Bureau as well as the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Edgewood campus
One of the pupils’ parents from Glenwood Preparatory School, Slindile Mbamali, said that she was happy about the competition and that she felt that it contributed to her child getting good results in school.
She said that her son loves maths. She also said that the school saw his good results and extension maths from Grade 6 based on his Grade 5 results.
She also said that her son does not have a phone and that helps him keep focused.
“When we give him electronic devices we monitor that it is school-related work and these competitions,” she said.
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