MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd), in partnership with the Mathematics Trainers’ Guild (MTG), will embark on a program to spot mathematically-gifted students in public schools and develop their math skills to be at par with international standards.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro said that the DepEd-MTG partnership seeks to provide mathematically-inclined public school students the same math training and development that their counterparts in expensive private schools get to hone their math abilities.
The MTG, headed by internationally-renowned math educator and mathematician Dr. Simon Chua, will administer a qualifying examination in public and private elementary and secondary schools nationwide to spot mathematically-inclined students.
Luistro said the qualifying examinations set on Saturday, July 21, seek to evaluate the breadth of the students’ mathematical knowledge and skills and select superior students to undergo further training and advancement.
“Qualifiers will be given a chance to further enhance their mathematical skills through a series of intensive training so that we can optimize their full potential,” Luistro added.
Those who will pass the qualifying examinations shall be eligible to enroll as trainees in the 12-Saturday Mathematical Challenge for Filipino Kids Training Program of the MTG.
In this program, they can earn the chance to participate in different international correspondence mathematics competitions which include the Mathematics Olympiad for Elementary and Middle Schools, American Mathematics Competitions, Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge, Canadian Mathematics Competitions – Pascal, Caley, Fermat Contests, Rio Tinto Big Science International Competitions and International Competition and Assessment for School Mathematics, Science and English.
The MTG will give 16 free slots per region for public school students to participate in the Australian Mathematics Competition.
Four slots are allotted for incoming Grades 3 and 4 in the middle primary division; four slots for incoming Grades 5 and 6 under the upper primary division; four slots for incoming first and second year high school for the junior division and four slots for incoming third and fourth year students for the intermediate division.
For more information about the program, interested parties may visit MTG website www. mtphil.org or email rid182001 @yahoo.com or call Roberto Degolacion at 0917-3246302.