MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The second staging of the Mathlympics held at New Green Primary School in Manchester took place recently.

The day buzzed with excitement as parents, teachers, and especially children from primary schools within the Quality Education Circle 45 (QEC45) engaged in activities which enabled them to have fun while learning mathematics.

QEC45 embraces a cluster of primary schools in Manchester as part of an initiative by the Education Ministry to improve the quality of teaching and learning at the primary level.

The Mathlympics programme aims to help students enjoy mathematics even as they raise their performance in the subject.

Ten schools made it to New Green Primary for the most recent Mathlympics; they included two schools outside of QEC45 — Zion Hill Primary School and Christiana Moravian Primary and Infant School.

Christopher Russell, principal of New Green Primary and chairman of QEC45, told Jamaica Observer Central that the Mathlympics idea originated with former regional mathematics coordinator in the Ministry of Education’s Region Five, Tajna Price.

“She projected the thought to myself and Tashane Williams, who was our Math coach at the time last year… and hence we sat, we brainstormed, and hence the birth of Mathlympics…,” he said.

The programme involves games that challenge students to learn the math concepts taught in their classes while enjoying themselves. The central aim is to make math easier to understand.

“The aim is to demystify mathematics,” said Russell. “What you find over the years is that children don’t have a love for Math… (we try) to teach math in the simplest form, in real life context where they (children) can have fun with it and at the same time, they are learning. So they don’t find learning being burdensome,” he said.

Mathlympics 2019 featured activities such as the ‘Estimation Race’ and the ‘Matherific Room’, which builds students’ probability and statistical skills.

In the “Estimation Race”, each competitor was given a five-litre jug and told the volume of water that should be placed in the jug. The student closest to the required measurement was chosen as the winner.

The ‘Matherific Room’ involved numbers games using dominoes and dice. Children were also required to examine averages and the mean, mode and median for numbers. Russell says he is looking forward to seeing the Mathlympics programme turned into a regional and eventually, nationwide activity.

Fairfield Primary School, Nazareth Primary, Christiana Moravian Primary, Mile Gully Primary and the only preparatory school in QEC45, Ardenne Prep, were represented in large numbers with banners and school colours on display.

‘Grade Six student of New Green Primary, Brandon Johnson, who recently sat the PEP exam described the day as “excellent”. He was pleased after placing second in his estimation race.

Sachin Peart was happy to spend the day with children “who love Math” and Joelle Reid said he particularly liked the tug-of-war game.