The Sunday Mail
Lissa Ngorima
The Goldridge College School has attained second and third prizes for the prestigious Mathematics Olympiad competition which was initiated by Old Mutual to promote Mathematics at high school level and to identify mathematical talent.
The Mathematics Olympiad was founded by Old Mutual Zimbabwe in collaboration with the University of Zimbabwe’s Mathematics Department and is connected to the International Mathematics Olympiad.
The competition attracts the participation of more than 20 schools in the country. The role of the Mathematics Department is to set questions for both the first and final rounds, mark the solutions, provide the solutions and finally come up with the Top 10 students from which the Top 3 are selected.
According to Old Mutual, the competition is part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail Bridge, Goldridge College School headmaster Lovemore Mashanda said he is proud of the success.
He encouraged the other students out there to work hard and to be smart in order to achieve their goals.
Commenting on the achievement, Panashe Muzuva – who won the second prize – said he was shocked because he was not expecting it.
“I just want to tell all those students out there that it is very possible to achieve their goals there is nothing that can stop you to succeed as long as you put your mind to it,” said Panashe.
“. . . I am very happy and I am a very proud father I think after this the sky is going to be the limit to his career,” said his father, Cain Mazuva.
Old Mutual’s role is to administer the whole programme.
The Mathematics Olympiad, which is held every year, has since been reduced to two rounds. One of the previous winners, Clement Chinaka, studied Actuarial Science and advanced in the field to become the Chief Actuary of Old Mutual.
Some of the winners of the Olympiad have participated in the Pan-African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO) where they have been successful, with one of the students, Kudzai Ndondo (formerly from Victoria High School), coming home with a bronze medal.
The competition has become significant in schools all over Zimbabwe and it is now a respected measure of students’ performance against their peers in other schools.
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