BASSETERRE St. Kitts, May 06th, 2012 (EMU)    --  Secondary students from schools around St. Kitts left the Old Girls’ School on Friday (May 04) evening greatly inspired about their mathematical abilities after being given the impetus to do so during a fun day of intense competition and rivalry.

The day organized as a positive step in re-shaping students attitudes towards Mathematics, saw a morning of competition between schools and an afternoon of rivalry between individual students.

Minister of Education Hon. Nigel Carty, who delivered words of encouragement to students as he declared the activity officially open, called on them to take advantage of all the opportunities being provided by Government including the departure from traditional teaching methods in challenging subjects such as Math to a more user friendly  and modern approach.

The Minister said the day “addressed the challenge of how to address an issue as old as time, by improving performance in Mathematics, by utilizing new methods and strategies relevant to today’s students and tomorrow’s workforce.”

Expounding on his Ministry’s increased efforts to provide opportunities for students to excel, Minister Carty emphasized that “no student in St. Kitts and Nevis would be able to say they failed to perform because of a lack of resources.” He was therefore full of commendation for Secretary General of the National Commission for UNESCO, Antonio Maynard, who he credited with consistent support for the programmes of the Ministry of Education in the form of technical and financial support.

Mr. Maynard told the Education Media Unit in response that the National Commission for UNESCO continues to proactively advise through its expert membership on ways in which UNESCO can make meaningful contributions to sustainable programmes within its priority areas.

A number of other officials were duly recognized for spearheading the organization of the day-long event which was one component of a National Math Olympiad launched in 2011. Mr. Lenrick Lake, Math Decathlon Coordinator and Mr. Gregory Morson, Education Officer and Knowledge Bowl Coordinator, were recognized and applauded for their diligence and commitment.

Other components of the Math Olympiad Include Teacher Training, Special activities in schools, Olympiad Newsletter and other fun activities organized to retrain the minds of students who feel discouraged with their mathematical ability.

A broadening of the possibilities in the working world for those students who excel in Math was another incentive used to raise students’ interest in the subject.

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