Nolungile Primary School in Khayelitsha wins the Standard Bank Matific Maths Olympiad... again!
Khayelitsha’s Nolungile Primary School has proudly clinched a significant milestone: triumphing over 225 other schools to win the Standard Bank Matific Maths Olympiad for the third consecutive year.
Pippa Hudson speaks to the principal of Nolungile Primary School, Vuyiswa Somagaca, about her school winning the Standard Bank Matific Maths Olympiad for a third time.
As schools prepare to open next week, Nolungile Primary School in Khayelitsha is going into 2025 celebrating another academic win for their pupils.
Nolungile Primary School has, for the third year in a row, won the Standard Bank Matific Maths Olympiad, which is organized in partnership with Oxford University Press South Africa.
The olympiad is an online math competition designed to ignite a love for mathematics in children aged 4–12.
Nolungile Primary School secured R15,000 in prize money and learning resources for the school.
Nolungile Primary was also selected to be the beneficiary of the 2024 AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign.
The school was one of 500 beneficiaries chosen out of 7,000 nominees to receive a mobile trolley library valued at R65,000.
Somagaca says this means a lot to the school, educators and community.
"It means a lot to us, it means that there is hope... it means that there is a possibility of something good coming from this... our mouths are open from ear to ear with this achievement."
- Vuyiswa Somagaca, Principal - Nolungile Primary School
The competition helps learners feel confident and excited about learning while adopting new skills.
"It's a matter of dedication and a matter of passion from the side of educators, leaders and the WCED [Western Cape Education Department]... and an effort that is collaborative from the teachers, learners and the community."
- Vuyiswa Somagaca, Principal - Nolungile Primary School
"The competition is digital and it's what the learners want, what they're good at and what they don't get tired of doing. It arouses their interest in participating and alleviates the barriers we have in traditional teaching where a teacher has to come forth with information... but now [with this competition], learners are interactive, participating fully and interested all the way."
- Vuyiswa Somagaca, Principal - Nolungile Primary School
"This competition is packaged to alleviate burdens from educators. I so wish many primary schools in our vicinity can take part because it has a way... with little effort from educators... to arouse and lure the learners' attention, train their concentration and analytical skills."
- Vuyiswa Somagaca, Principal - Nolungile Primary School