19/06/2023

Piauí creates math tournament for students in the state school system.

Divulgação Seduc Piauí

With the goal of disseminating the study of mathematics and contributing to the performance of public school students in the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools), the State Department of Education (Seduc) of Piauí created the Mathematics Tournament (TME² ) . The competition, inspired by the tests of the Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools, consists of two phases: the first with a multiple-choice test of 16 questions for all registered participants, and the second, for the qualified students, a written test with four questions worth 20 points. The highest-achieving students receive medals.

The tournament was launched this year and has already had high participation. According to the secretariat, of the 458 state schools with regular high school education in Piauí, 407 had students enrolled, approximately 90% of the units. The first phase took place on a symbolic day: May 6, National Mathematics Day, and 62,700 students participated. The second phase, with the written exam, will take place next Saturday (24) and will bring together more than 4,000 students who qualified in the 1st phase of the competition.

“This tournament is mobilizing and seeks to involve more students and schools in improving their teaching. If we observe, there is a better level of educational performance in schools that have training for knowledge competitions. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to encourage students to participate in these knowledge competitions,” highlighted Professor and Superintendent of Education at Seduc, Antônio Amaral.

Divulgação Seduc

Just like in the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools), at the end of the tournament, the highest-achieving students will receive prizes. A total of 200 medals will be awarded: 32 gold, 63 silver, 105 bronze, in addition to 210 honorable mentions.

The award-winning students may also participate in the "Special Mathematics Journey" project, which is currently under development. The idea is to offer specialized training for mathematics olympiads to the 200 students who excelled in the tournament. This project will take place in Teresina, the capital of the northeastern state.

The TME² is part of the Seduc Olímpica project , which aims to promote student participation in mathematics competitions and other subjects. The program includes systematic monitoring of activities, registration of schools and students in various olympiads, science fairs, and tournaments.

Furthermore, one of the project's goals is for all state schools in Piauí to participate annually in at least five knowledge olympiads. This year, the government managed to ensure that all schools in the state network were registered for the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad for Public Schools).

“It’s a comprehensive action, as it brings the entire school community closer together and involves them, boosting learning and discovering new potential. The Mathematics Tournament is part of the Seduc Olímpica program, which provides all the incentive for these high-achieving students to also excel in national olympiads. We want more students to win medals in future editions of the OBMEP and other competitions,” highlighted the Secretary of Education, Washington Bandeira.