John Colet School had a bumper crop of young mathematicians entering the 38th Annual Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) recently.
Inspired by Australia’s best ever result at the recent International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), hundreds of thousands of students from all over Australia took part in the AMC sponsored by the Commonwealth Bank.
John Colet School had more than 40 students taking part, a big jump on previous years as this year maths loving students from 3rd, 4th and 5th classes entered for the first time.
“I am very pleased that so many students felt confident to ‘have a go’. They are obviously enjoying maths and wanted the extra challenge,” said John Colet School Headmistress Mary McKendrick.
Students of all levels of ability, from all types of schools in vastly different locations around the country, took up the challenge and sat a 75-minute secondary paper or a 60-minute primary paper containing some quirky questions with an emphasis on fun and problem solving.
The AMC is Australia’s original classroom-based mathematics competition with around 14.5 million entries since it commenced in 1978. The AMC awards more than 1000 prizes and 70 medals annually. A truly international event, there are entries from more than 30 countries across South-East Asia, the Pacific, Europe, and Africa. This year saw the highest ever number of entries from the Philippines and ongoing strong numbers in Iran.
Adjunct Professor Mike Clapper, Executive Director of the not-for-profit Australian Mathematics Trust (AMT) which administers the competition, said, ‘The Australian team at this year’s IMO who achieved outstanding results commenced their journey to international success through their participation in the Australian Maths Competition’.
‘The competition aims to encourage and enthuse all students about studying maths so to improve their future career options. But it also identifies the most talented, who can then go on to a series of AMT enrichment programs that nurture their special ability and may lead to success, such as for this year’s Australian IMO team, who came sixth in the world out of 104 teams, winning two gold and four silver medals. And they started with the AMC’, he added.
The Australian Mathematics Trust is under the trusteeship of the University of Canberra. Learn more about the Australian Mathematics Competition at: www.amt.edu.au
