Siyanqoba UKZN Maths Training Programme off to a Good Start

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The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF), in partnership with UKZN’s School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, is hard at work training bright young mathematical brains.

Since 2011, the Foundation has assisted high school students in achieving success in the South African Mathematics Olympiads (SAMO). ‘Hundreds of learners have benefited from the programme,’ said Professor Poobhalan Pillay, Regional Co-ordinator for the Siyanqoba Training Programme. ‘Past students have been placed in the top 10 in the country, following their performance in the final round of SAMO.’

In 2012, the UKZN team won the Senior Interprovincial Olympiad, and in 2014, Ms Fiona Watt, who has been in the programme for three years, was placed first in the IEB Grade 12 examinations.

This year, invitations were sent to 67 schools to send their top learners in Grade 7 to Grade 12, to write a selection test for placement in the programme - 148 students competed for 60 places, 30 junior and 30 senior.

Professor Michael de Villiers, an executive member of both SAMO and SAMF, spoke on Geometry, while UKZN Mathematicians Professor Dharms Baboolal, Dr Paran Pillay and Mr Shan Pillay marked the papers.

Snacks and awards were kindly sponsored by the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science.

The students spent a very enjoyable morning at UKZN. As one student remarked, ‘It was a day to remember.’

 Poobhalan Pillay