The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) calls on teachers to register learners for the annual South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC) and Old Mutual South African Mathematics Olympiad (Samo). Entries for this year will close on 24 February.
The SAMC is open for Gr. 4 to Gr. 7 learners, while the Samo caters for those in Gr. 8 to Gr. 12. The latter is supported by the South African Institute for Chartered Accountants (Saica).
The challenges encourage learners to think outside the box and also aim to equip them with the necessary skills to read and understand the problem and solve said problem accordingly.
Learners are not tested based on the Mathematics curriculum offered at their school, but rather on their ability to think analytically.
“Many learners are not confident enough, which is why they fear Mathematics competitions. They need enough exposure, starting in primary school. The sooner they start, the more confident they become,” said Dr Belinda Huntley, chairperson of the SAMF Advisory Committee on Mathematics.
She stressed that the initiative aimed at increasing the enrolment of learners for Mathematics, highlighting the low pass rate in Gr. 12 in South Africa, and added that primary schools’ participation is fundamental in addressing the country’s numerical literacy challenges.
Matric College has stated that in 2021, of the 750 478 learners enrolled for matric only 35% wrote the final Mathematics exam – and 20% passed. What is more, only 5% reportedly passed with 60% or more.
In 2020, 233 315 learners wrote the Mathematics exam and 30 882 passed with 60%.
In 2019, 301 037 learners wrote the exam, with 32 572 of these passing with 60%.
Parents who want their children to participate in the Mathematics competitions must contact the school’s Mathematics teachers to register the learners using the printable registration form on the SAMF website.
Interested parties can download the PDF forms to enter the SAMC or Samo for 2023 by visiting samf.ac.za.
