Thousands of school students from across the Central Coast are set to put their maths skills to the test in the annual Newcastle Permanent Primary School Mathematics Competition.
Starting on Monday, July 29, classrooms across the Central Coast transformed into vibrant maths hubs, buzzing with the excitement of Year 5 and 6 students eager to demonstrate their skills.
Among last year’s Central Coast region winners were Roy Feria Amador, Alex Shi, Daniel Yang and Reggy Wu from Gosford Public School and Yian He from Wyong Public School.
This year also heralds the arrival of a new director, Zak Nicholls, poised to bring fresh enthusiasm to the event.
“It’s an honour to take on the stewardship of this long-standing competition,” he said.
“As a kid, I participated in maths competitions myself, and it ignited my passion for the subject, even if I didn’t solve every problem perfectly back then.
He said careers in engineering and advanced technology fields were on the rise, and a strong foundation in mathematics was an excellent starting point for budding young minds.
“Most importantly, the Newcastle Permanent Mathematics Competition is all about giving it a go – even if you don’t get all the questions right,” he said.
“My favourite thing about being a maths tutor is witnessing that ‘light bulb’ moment when students grasp a concept.
“So for primary school kids, this competition is about learning, improving and hopefully having a few of those light bulb moments!”
With 45 minutes on the clock, students will tackle 35 challenging questions.
The problems, inspired by real-life scenarios like measuring ingredients for a recipe or balancing a household budget, ensure practical maths skills are in play.
In keeping with tradition, the competition remains steadfast in its rules – no calculators and no rulers.
Chief Distribution Officer of Newcastle Permanent Paul Juergens said for many students across the Central Coast, the Mathematics Competition was a family tradition, with parents and even grandparents having taken part.
“Maths is integral to everyday life, from balancing a budget to time management,” he said.
“These are essential skills for kids to master, and this competition provides a fun and challenging way to hone those abilities.
“For over 40 years, this event has been a platform for young minds to excel and find joy in mathematics.
“The problem-solving skills they develop here will serve them well in all areas of life – and we look forward to seeing the impact of this initiative continue for generations to come.”
The competition is one of Australia’s largest and longest-running primary school mathematics contests.
Since it began in 1981, it has seen more than half a million participants, becoming a beloved tradition in NSW primary schools.
Newcastle Permanent presents a range of awards and prizes to winners and high performing students and schools across the state.
The 2024 competition will run from Monday, July 29, to Friday, August 2.
Try your hand at these example questions:
How much would Alice be paid for delivering 400 pamphlets if she is paid 6 cents per pamphlet? (Answer: $24).
Jasmin spent 3/5 of $30 – how much is left? (answer $12).
The marked price for a bike is $1,250 – what would it cost if a 20 per cent discount is given? (Answer: $1,000).
A paddock on a farm is a rectangle 1.2km long and 200m wide – what is the area of the paddock? (Answer: 24ha).