Old Mutual maths contest hots up at Mzuni
Mzuzu University (Mzuni) with K10 million (about $14 749) funding from Old Mutual Malawi is hosting a mathematics competition for secondary school students nationwide in a bid to promote science subjects.
Dubbed Old Mutual Mathematics Olympiad, the competition has drawn 168 students from 60 schools. Twenty-five best students will be awarded after sitting three examinations in three days.
Speaking yesterday at the start of the competition, Mzuni professor of mathematics John Ryan said the institution wants to promote mathematics which is loathed by most students.
contest give it a go
He said mathematics is the core subject for sciences, often referred to as the “queen of science”, which he said needs to be promoted for the socio-economic development of the nation.
Said Ryan: “We want to motivate secondary students to take up mathematics. We observed that most students shun the subject and yet it is the core subject for sciences.”
The Old Mutual Mathematics Olympiad was revived in 2014 when Old Mutual Malawi and Mzuni signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) after years without the competition, previously run by Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi (Unima).
The competition’s acting coordinator, Khumbo Kumwenda, said its revival has exposed gaps in science subjects as offered by public schools.
He said no student from public schools has made it into the top six list dominated by students from Catholic Church-owned secondary schools. n
