Ministry of Education & NBD launches 3rd Math Power Contest

A contest geared at improving literacy and numeracy, while at the same time popularizing mathematics among primary and secondary school students, is scheduled to commence on April 10, 2014.

Sixty four (64) students from sixteen (16) primary and sixteen (16) secondary schools across Dominica will participate in the third Mathematics Power Contest organized by the Ministry of Education and the National Bank of Dominica (NBD).

It was launched on Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at the Windsor Park Stadium’s conference room.

“The improvement of literacy and numeracy is a major priority for the Ministry of Education and so we welcome these innovative and creative initiatives which seek to promote the importance of being literate and numerate,” learning support advisor and program coordinator Clement Vital said.

“More specifically, we recognize the need to improve our efforts at developing the numeracy skills of our students and we are confident that the Math Power Competition will generate great interest in the subject,” Vital added.

The main objectives of the competition includes identifying promising students and offer them opportunities for further development of their mathematic talents, encouraging students to pursue careers in mathematics and to stimulating the improvement of mathematics education in the schools and other learning institutions.

The competition, which will be divided into three categories, upper primary grades four(4) to six (6), lower secondary forms (1) to two (2), and upper secondary forms (3) to four (4 will allow two students from each participating school to team up for two rounds of intense problem solving.

In the first round, dubbed speed round or mental math, students will be required to work out a series of math problems in their heads.

No paper, pen, pencil or calculator will be allowed and students will have fifteen (15) seconds to answer each question.

In the second round, dubbed the problem solving round, students will have to answer over ten challenging math problems, which will be projected on a screen.

Mrs. Suzanne Piper (right) Handing check over to Minister of Education Mr. Petter Saint-Jean.

They will however be able to use, pens, pencils, paper and calculators in this round and will have thirty (30) seconds to present the correct answer.

Meanwhile, NBD’s executive manager Suzanne Piper noted that this contest is important for the Bank as it sees many advantages in its hosting.

“It introduces both the participants of the contest and the student audiences to math challenges in an enjoyable way and we hope that this will further their interest in the subject and ultimately improve general performance in mathematics island-wide”.

She noted that not only does the Bank want to improve student’s performance in mathematics, “we want to help our students to improve their analytical skills which is a critical skill of the fast paced global world of today and the future”.

Additionally, the Bank wants to help students to develop discipline, a good work ethic, learn how to handle pressure and develop leadership skills.

“This is a tall order for a simple math contest,” Piper acknowledged but added that it is “achievable because activities such as these give our students the opportunity to develop all of these skills”.

The contest dates for primary schools are; Eliminations April 10 2014, Semi-Finals April 15, 2014, and Finals April 30, 2014 and secondary Schools; Eliminations May 1, 2014, and Finals May 9, 2014.

The first Mathematics Power Contest was held in 2009 and the second in 2011.

Cash prizes and certificates will be given to the winners.

Dominica Vibes News