Time for maths boffs to shine
School learners are urged to register for the biggest maths olympiad in South Africa.
ON 13 March thousands of high school learners will take part in the first round of the South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO) at schools across the country. Registration for this prestigious competition closes on 7 February.
The SAMO is the biggest Olympiad in South Africa and has taken place annually since 1966. It is organised by the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF), an organisation that was established as an initiative of the Association for Mathematics Education of South Africa (AMESA) and the South African Mathematical Society (SAMS).
The Olympiad takes place over three rounds and consists of a junior division for Grades 8 and 9, and a senior division for Grades 10 to 12. The first round of the Olympiad, which consists of 20 questions with multiple-choice answers, is written at the individual schools and marked by the teachers.
Learners who obtain 50 per cent or more for the first-round paper will advance to the second round that will take place on 13 May.
The top 100 learners per division will then continue to the third and final round on 10 September. The results of the final round are taken into consideration to select the South African teams for the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) as well as the Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO) next year.
The entry fee is R23 per learner but schools that enter more than 100 learners can do so at only R17 per learner.
The entry form can be downloaded from the SAMF web site at www.samf.ac.za/examquestions/samoentryform2014.pdf
Alternatively teachers can contact 012 392 9362 or info@samf.ac.za
