Four Ugandan students Türkiye-bound for Kangaroo Mathematics

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Four Ugandan students from different secondary schools have been selected to participate in the Kangaroo Mathematics Camp in Istanbul, Türkiye.

The selected students are Christine Amanya (Senior Six, Trinity College Nabbingo), Christine Nankya (Senior One, Trinity College Nabbingo), Joseph Ononyang (Senior Six, Kololo Secondary School), and Godber Norbert (Makerere College School).

Simon Awuyo, the director of Glee Pearl STEM Initiative—the organisation coordinating the contest in Uganda—said participation began on April 14 this year and was conducted both online and offline.

A total of 591 students participated online, and approximately 2,131 took part offline, making a total of 2,700 participants.

All students sat the same set of exams, which were described as challenging and requiring strong logical reasoning.

Awuyo explained that only the four selected students managed to pass, and they will travel to Türkiye in July to compete with students from other countries.

“The four students were selected upon their excellent performance in the Kangaroo Mathematics Contest through online and offline participation and subject to further screening to get only four,” he explained.

In a one-on-one interview, Awuyo said that after identifying the top four performers, the results were shared with Becker Greg in South Africa and Prof. Dr Meika Akveld, president of the Association Kangourou Sans Frontières (AKSF), based in Zurich, Switzerland.

Expected outcomes

Awuyo said the students are expected to gain new skills and exposure to advanced mathematics learning alongside peers from around the world.

The Kangaroo Mathematics Contest, which was open to learners in both primary and secondary schools across Uganda, is intended to motivate and inspire students to explore mathematics further and share their knowledge with others.

"I, therefore, call on all the teachers, parents, guardians, and well-wishers to support all these selected learners. Some of them come from poor families. The embassy of Türkiye will get them visas, but passports are for them to fund. One of them is an orphan, and he needs support to travel,” Awuyo said.

Uganda is the only African country sending competitors this year, according to Awuyo, who is Uganda's representative to AKSF—the world’s largest mathematics contest organising association.

Although countries such as Rwanda, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia, Malawi, Zambia, Ghana, Mali, Egypt, Kenya, Botswana, Cameroon, and Zambia also take part in the Kangaroo Mathematics Contest, they were unable to match Uganda’s performance this time around.

Despite challenges in those countries, student interest in mathematics remains strong, with many eager to participate in future contests. The competition not only promotes a love for mathematics but also fosters collaboration and learning across borders.

Background

The Kangaroo Mathematics Competition is an international initiative aimed at promoting mathematics education and creating a positive learning environment for students from Primary One to Senior Six. It encourages a love for maths through engaging multiple-choice questions that enhance logical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The contest is organised annually by the Association Kangourou Sans Frontières (AKSF), an international body headquartered in France.

The competition began in France in 1991, inspired by a similar event in Australia, and quickly expanded throughout Europe and beyond.

It is now conducted in over 90 countries, with millions of students participating each year.