Namibia prepares for inaugural participation in continental Mathematics Olympiads

Namibia for the first time will take part in the Pan African Mathematics Olympiads (PAMO) scheduled to take place in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, in May.

The continental platform, PAMO is an annual event organized by the African Mathematical Union (AMU), and this year it will be its 30th edition.

Head of Corporate Communication and Marketing at National Commission on Research, Science, and Technology (NCRST) Liz Tashiya on Tuesday said the objective of PAMO is to encourage talent and exchange information on curricula and teaching methods in mathematics across the African continent.

According to Tashiya, in preparation for their maiden participation at PAMO, NCRST, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Arts, and Culture, among other key stakeholders from March 20 to 24, hosted a boot camp training for the six Namibian representatives (three females, three males).

“The learners received much-needed exposure and were well trained,” she said, adding that they were also given tips and material to focus on and further read as they prepare and wait for PAMO.

Tashiya said participation in PAMO is by invitation only, and the official languages are French and English. “Each country is entitled to send a team consisting of a team leader that is a mathematics teacher at a secondary or tertiary level, and six pupils younger than 20 years old who are in higher school at their time of participation.”

Namibia hosted its first national Mathematics Olympiad in 2021, and last year, after a successful second event, it selected the top six learners that will represent the country at the PAMO. Enditem