NZ student tops World Maths Day

Student Mason F. from Sherwood Primary on Auckland’s North Shore has taken out top place in the 8 – 10 year category of the 2011 World Maths Day on March 1st.

The World Maths Day challenge is an online event with over 2.4 million students from 234 countries participating in 60 second challenges over a 48 hour period.

Other NZ students also performed very well. Evan M from Stanley Bay School came 5th in the 4 – 7 years category, Edwin from St Josephs School in Pukekohe came 3rd in the 8 – 10 years category and Willem E from the Remarkables Primary School in Queenstown took out sixth place.

NZ finished fifth equal with Hong Kong, while Malaysia became first, the UK second, Pakistan third and Australia fourth.

“I am thrilled with how NZ students have risen to the challenge this year and shown the world what we can do,” said Yvonne Blanch, the NZ CEO of 3P Learning, the company that hosts World Maths Day.  

“It has been a very tough week for NZ but I congratulate all schools, teachers, parents and students who have got behind this event, challenged themselves and the world and succeeded. 

“I have had messages of congratulations from all over the world from folk who recognise that this wee country at the bottom of the world is a force to be reckoned with - on and off the sports field!”

2011 is the fifth year that the online World Maths Day Challenge has been held and the first year in which a NZ student has taken out top place.

 It is also the first year that UNICEF has been involved making this a global fundraising event. To date, over $1.3 million has been raised by students around the world for schools and UNICEF.