North West Pupils Awarded for Mathematics Achievement

Johannesburg, Monday 9 September 2013- On 10 September a handful of High School learners were awarded as top provincial contestants at the Hartbeespoort High School for their participation in the South African Mathematics Olympiad’s (SAMO) second round that took place in May this year.
The learners (listed below) who still have to compete in the third and final round of the SAMO taking place
later in September, are delighted at being nominated as top contestants for North West.
Senior division (Grades 10 to 12):
Ashim Vin Asharaph, Grade 11, of Sol Plaatjie Secondary School (1st place)
Codre Gravette Smith, Grade 12, of Hoer Volkskool Potchefstroom (2nd place)
Hon-Yu Chan, Grade 12, of Selly Park Secondary School (3rd place)
Junior division (Grades 8 and 9):
James Murray Louw, Grade 8, of Hoerskool Hartbeespoort (1st place)
Rolf Martin Behrens, Grade 9, of Deutsche Schule Kroondaal (2nd place)
Xiaodian Liang, Grade 9, of Hoerskool Hartbeespoort (3rd place)
The SAMO is the biggest Olympiad in South Africa with more than 81 000 learners from schools across the country who participated in the first round, held during March each year.  A total of 11 139 learners (of which 350 were from the North West province) participated in the second round of the South African Mathematics Olympiad (SAMO).
SAMO’s aim is to promote mathematics as a subject and all learners are encouraged to take part.  “Learners who take part in the Olympiad benefit from the exposure to mathematics that is not based on the curriculum, which assists them to think out-of-the-box,” says Prof Johann Engelbrecht, Executive Director of the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF), who are the organisers of this and other maths projects and competitions throughout the country.
Chantyl Mulder, Senior Executive: Transformation and Growth at the South African Institute for Chartered Accountants (SAICA) that sponsored the prizes, says that reaching the second round and ultimately the final is a great achievement.  “It shows not just a talent for mathematics and problem solving, but also demonstrates a willingness to learn and challenge yourself. The chartered accountancy profession is in dire need of talented learners who are studying core mathematics. The results are encouraging especially in the light of South Africa hosting the International Maths Olympiad (IMO) in 2014.”
“An exciting prospect for learners who participate in this year and the 2014 SA Mathematics Olympiad is the possibility to represent their country at the 2014 International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) that will take place in Cape Town, South Africa.  It will be the first time the IMO is held on the African continent and is a great achievement for the nation,” concludes Engelbrecht.
The country’s top young mathematician will be announced at the Gala Awards evening on 12 October in Kempton Park, Gauteng, based on the results of the final round that took place in September.