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Primary School Mathematics Competition Empowers Teachers and Learners

Monday, 13 September 2021

For the past 44 years, primary school learners across the country have participated in the annual South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC). This year is no different. On Friday, 10 September, 478 learners from 136 schools countrywide competed in the third and final round. In addition, special training was provided for learners and teachers at 13 centralised venues before the writing of the final round.

 

The competition has a rich history that started in 1977 when Mona Leeuwenburg, a mathematics teacher, launched a mini-mathematics competition for Grade 7 learners in the Cape Peninsula. By 1985, the competition was so successful that it branched out to other regions with the help of the Association for Mathematics Education of South Africa (AMESA). In 2011, AMESA requested the South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) to take over the competition administration. The contest is endorsed by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and sponsored by NESTLÉ Nespray.

 

"Because the objectives and the mathematics in the Challenge are different from what teachers and learners experience at school, we recently implemented training sessions before the learners sit down to write the final round paper," explains Alwyn Olivier, a former lecturer from the University of Stellenbosch and academic coordinator of the SAMC.

 

According to Olivier, the Challenge questions are aimed at conceptual knowledge, applying knowledge in new situations, problem-solving, reasoning, communication, and general mathematical thinking. These are all non-routine mathematical problems, meaning that they are not part of the curriculum. "Unfortunately, teachers are likely to teach the way they were taught," explains Olivier. "Therefore, we must find a way to interrupt the self-perpetuating cycle of rote learning in our schools and help teachers to break out of this cycle of mediocrity."

 

"The essence of the training is to help teachers and learners to learn what to do when they do not know what to do. We teach them problem-solving strategies that mathematicians typically use when doing mathematics, like making a sketch or diagram, introducing some symbols and notations, trying special cases, making a table, and looking for a pattern. In addition to offering training before the final round, our teacher development is not restricted to the activities on the day of the final round. There are also ongoing Teacher Problem Solving courses throughout the country, presented by accredited facilitators."

 

Olivier concluded by saying that "we want mathematics to be accessible to all, not just the select few. As such, the Challenge aims to help South Africans become empowered, independent, creative, and critical thinkers."

 

Mathematics teachers who are interested in the SAMF’s Teacher Problem Solving courses can email info@samf.ac.za

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