Who is SA's Top High School Mathematics Team?
On Saturday, 11 September, high school learners from across the country participated in the ASSA South African Mathematics Team Competition. The Competition is a South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) initiative sponsored by the Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA).
The Western Province A-team achieved the first place out of the 72 junior teams which participated, followed by the A-team from Gauteng North. There were 67 senior teams of which the Western Province’s A-team took the lead ahead of the A-team from Gauteng North.
Each region enters two A-teams of ten: Junior (Grades 8 and 9), Senior (Grades 10, 11 and 12). The areas may also register additional teams at different levels (B, C and D-teams). The first part of the Competition is a one-hour individual problem paper consisting of 15 multiple-choice questions. After a break for refreshments and a discussion of team strategy, the second part of the Competition occurs. The second paper consists of ten tricky problems, but now the teams may work together and submit just one set of answers.
Lusani Mulaudzi, President of ASSA, commented: "The Actuarial Society takes great pride in its long-standing involvement in the SA Mathematics Team Competition for schools. The Team Competition highlights the importance of teamwork."
"This year, as a tribute to the memory of Wim Els, who led the Society's involvement in the ASSA Mathematics Team Competition for many years, we take great pleasure in awarding the Wim Els Memorial Prize to the Junior B-team from the Wits Siyanqoba region and Gauteng North’s Senior D-team. The prize acknowledges exceptional teamwork. We award it to the two teams that improved the most when they moved from the individual to the teamwork part of the Competition. We want to thank the South African Mathematics Foundation for their professional organisation and congratulate the participants, particularly the prize winners, on their performance."
The top 10 teams are:
Junior teams:
|
Team Id |
Team |
Rank |
|
1060 |
Western Province Junior |
1 |
|
1052 |
Gauteng North Junior 1 |
2 |
|
1010 |
Wits Siyanqoba Junior 2 |
3 |
|
1062 |
Boland Junior 1 |
4 |
|
1009 |
Wits Siyanqoba Junior 1 |
5 |
Senior teams:
|
Team Id |
Team |
Rank |
|
1146 |
Western Province Senior 1 |
1 |
|
1136 |
Gauteng North Senior 1 |
2 |
|
1100 |
Wits Siyanqoba Senior 1 |
3 |
|
1147 |
Western Province Senior 2 |
4 |
|
1137 |
Gauteng North Senior 2 |
5 |