Media Release
Minister of Education Debbie Schäfer
Western Cape

14 August, 2017

Western Cape learners bring home awards in international mathematics olympiad.

Statement by Minister Debbie Schäfer, Minister of Education

It gives me great pleasure to congratulate the South African team that participated in the 58^th International Mathematics Olympiad in Brazil from 12 to 23 July.

All six members of the team attend schools in the Western Cape.

For the first time, every member of the team returned home with awards, including two Bronze Medals and four Honourable Mentions.

The Bronze Medal winners are Taariq Mowzer, a grade 10 learner from Fairbairn College, and Adri Wessels from Curro Durbanville, also in Grade 10.

Taariq received a Gold Award at the Mathematics Olympiad and Invitational Challenge held at UCT earlier this year.

The following learners returned home with Honourable Mentions:

Timothy Schlesinger, Grade 11, Rondebosch Boys' High; Aaron Naidu, Grade 10, Eden College; Ralph McDougall, Grade 11, Curro Durbanville; and Emil van der Walt, Grade 10, Jan van Riebeeck High.

Schlesinger missed a Bronze Medal by just one point.

A total of 615 young mathematicians participated from 111 countries.

Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals were awarded to the top half of the contestants, in the ratio 1:2:3.

Any contestant who did not win a medal but solved at least one problem correctly, was awarded an "Honourable Mention".

This was the first time since 2010 that every member of the South African team has come back from an IMO with an award (either a medal or an Honourable Mention).

Overall, the winning team was South Korea (1), followed by China (2), Vietnam (3), USA (4), Iran (5), Japan (6), Singapore and Thailand (7), Taiwan (9) and the United Kingdom (10).

South Africa was ranked 60^th and topped the 12 other African countries taking part. The other African countries (in ranked order) were Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Nigeria, Uganda, Botswana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania and Egypt.

"Fairbairn College is extremely proud of Taariq. He is following in the footsteps of his older brother Yaseen. Congratulations Taariq", said Fairbairn College Principal, Mr Marchand

I am aware that the preparation time needed to take part in a competition such as this is immense. I must therefore congratulate the South African Team on their success in the competition.

Maths is also a crucial subject for so many skills needed in the modern economy.

I am thus very pleased that the team has performed so well internationally.

Media enquiries:
Jessica Shelver
Spokesperson for the Minister of Education, Debbie Schäfer
Western Cape Education Department
Tel: 021 483 6570