Mathletics: Students poised for World Record

Students poised for World Record

It’s not every day that Kiwi kids willingly give up their lunch break to carry on with maths, but tens of thousands of New Zealand students have been hammering their keyboards today as part of a massive online education event.

More than 100,000 students across New Zealand are challenging their colleagues around the world in quick-fire 60 second online maths games for World Maths Day 2010. More than four million students are registered for this year’s event, which is poised to set a Guinness World Record for the largest online maths competition.

Millions of participants are answering questions at a rate of around 2,500 per second. More than 170 million questions have already been answered correctly!

Prime Minister John Key, in a letter of support to New Zealand students, said “From counting and working out change at the dairy, right through to balancing the nation’s finances and calculating the orbits of the planets, maths is an important part of our lives. It’s great to see so many young Kiwis getting involved, learning about maths, and having fun.”

For the first time in this annual event which has been going since 2007, teachers, parents and other adults are also taking part. Chambers of Commerce around the country have issued challenges to members in an effort to find the ‘brightest business’.

Many New Zealand schools have devoted much of the day to maths, with Wanganui Collegiate School’s St George’s Campus welcoming Whanganui MP Chester Borrows for a morning challenge – which he won 6-4.

Many children will also continue playing from home tonight, in an effort to appear alongside other top participants on the Hall of Fame. The event lasts for 48 hours – as long as it’s 3 March somewhere in the world – winding up at midnight tomorrow.

“It’s an exciting event,” said Yvonne Blanch, the New Zealand CEO of 3P Learning, the company hosting the free, global event. “Students in more than 1000 New Zealand schools have been putting aside other curriculum activities to concentrate on maths today. It’s a wonderful celebration of this core subject.”

World Maths Day is powered by 3P Learning’s unique game engine Live Mathletics, part of the Mathletics learning platform - www.mathletics.co.nz.

ENDS

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