Tauranga class retains crown as Maths Day champs

Media statement
For immediate release
9 March 2009

Tauranga class retains crown as NZ’s World Maths Day champions

A year seven class at Otumoetai Intermediate in Tauranga has taken the crown as New Zealand’s World Maths Day Class Champions once again.

It’s the second year in a row that students at Otumoetai have had the fastest digits in the country.

Their teacher Matu Pene said: “The excitement, the challenges, the camaraderie, the fun and most of all, the 100% engagement in learning – it was such a thrill to see.”

World Maths Day was launched by the Prime Minister the Hon John Key last Wednesday, 4 March, at Thorndon Primary School in Wellington. It’s the biggest online education event in the world where students race others from around the world in quick-fire 60 second maths contests.

“World Maths Day (www.worldmathsday.com) set a new level in the way my class has approached maths,” said Mr Pene. “I was so amazed that all of the pupils in my class in this short time said that they could recall basic facts much faster.”

Results are still being verified and collated but the top placed New Zealand student is from North Street School in Feilding. She came 24th in the world while another student from Medbury Preparatory School in Christchurch came 58th.

“It’s a fantastic performance from our Kiwi mathletes once again and I congratulate them all for giving it their best shot,” said Yvonne Blanch, the New Zealand organiser of World Maths Day.

New Zealand students correctly answered 6,925,291 questions during the event, three times more than last year.

“2009 has way exceeded our expectations. We managed to break the world record set last year, with a record number of students from around the world correctly answering 452,681,681 questions. That’s more than double 2008.”

This year 2,000,482 students from over 200 countries took part. Kaya Genc, an 11 year old student from Queensland’s Gold Coast correctly answered 129,106 questions in 48 hours to take home the title of World Maths Day Champion for 2009.

“We have had wonderful feedback from schools about the enthusiasm World Maths Day has generated around maths in their schools. Students have demonstrated a real passion for numbers and over the course of the 48 hours have shown an increase in both speed and accuracy in answering basic maths questions,” said Yvonne Blanch.

Final results will be released later this week.

ENDS

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