The great Olympiad Mathematics Competitions (GOMC) held from November 19 to December 22 at the Youth Care Foundation complex in Churchill’s town, has produced young mathematicians from both the upper basic and senior schools in The Gambia.

The GOMC is a project of the Youth Care Foundation the Gambia, geared towards facilitating a healthy academic contest among secondary school students in mathematics and to identify higher abilities and talent for motivation and development.  The programme started with an orientation session held at the organisation’s office where some 40 schools in region one attended. At the meeting; organisers of the competition in collaboration with the Directorate of Science and Technology Education, Mathematics Teachers Association and the West African Examination Council highlighted the rules and regulations of the competition.  The focus topics of the competition such as calculus, analytic geometry, logics, sequence, series and functions were also brought to the attention of the contestants during the orientation.

The preliminary stage produced six best schools in the junior and the senior categories respectively.  The final stage ended in a stalemate, which warranted a rerun among the competing schools and the following students emerged as the best three from the senior and junior categories respectively: 16-year old Ling Yi Kuo, from Marina International School emerged victorious followed by  19-year old Amadou Tijan MR Jallow, from Gambia Senior Secondary School and the third position goes to an 18 -year old Mamadou Lamin Bajo, from Nusrat Senior Secondary while at the junior category, 16-year old Alieu Jallow, from St. Therese Upper Basic School emerged winner followed by a 14-year old Binta Bijou Jeng, from Deeper Life Upper Basic School and the third position goes to 15-year old Bubacarr A Jallow, from Latrikunda Upper Basic School.

At the end of the competition, Top Class had a chat with Amadou Jallow from the Gambia Senior Secondary School, who remarked that such type of competitions is needed because it is an avenue where higher abilities and talents are identified, motivated and developed.  He added that it is even relevant because what happens before and after the competition is good for their education.

For his part, Abdul Kolapo, director of Youth Care Foundation (YCF) said they owe a debt of gratitude to all dedicated principals, teachers, students and parents who contributed their time and talents working with young mathematicians in schools. He added that many hours were spent drafting, editing and clarifying questions in the competitions. He thanked the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing, Waterloo, Canada for their tireless efforts rendered to the organisation. He revealed that the award presentation is scheduled for next terms where all schools in the competitions are to be awarded; the follow-up programme of the GOMC is the formation of mathematics clubs in schools, he unveiled.