1324346 Appendix A.pdf

1982
Act
Information
Official
the
under
Released

19 October 2012
METIS: 694205
Education Report:   Background  notes  for  Minister’s  attendance
and
speech  at
the  2012  Australian
Mathematics  Trust  presentation  ceremony  as
the Guest of Honour
1982
Recommendations:
We recommend that you
Act
a.
note  you  have  accepted  to  be  the  Guest  of  Honour  at  the  2012  Australian
Mathematics  Trust  Awards.  It  will  be  held  on  Thursday,  1  November  from  12
noon until 2pm in the Legislative Council Chamber.
b.
note this event will bring together representatives of key groups in mathematics
education, who are interested in hearing you speak on the virtues of achievement
in mathematics.
c.
note the  background information, press release, and  speech  notes attached  for
your address.
Information
Official
9(2)(a)

Group Manager
the
Curriculum, Teaching and Learning
NOTED / APPROVED
under
Hon Hekia Parata
Minister of Education
__ __/__ __/__ __
Released
2

Education Report:   Background  notes  for  Minister’s  attendance
and
speech  at
the  2012
Australian
Mathematics  Trust  presentation  ceremony  as
the Guest of Honour
Purpose of report
1982
1.
This  report  provides  background  on  the  2012  Australian  Mathematics  Trusts
Awards and speech notes for your address at the event. You agreed to host the
presentation ceremony and to present this year’s medals as the Guest of Honour.
Act
The Australian Mathematics Competition
2.
The  Australian  Mathematics  Competition  is  in  its  35th  year,  and  in  2012  the
competition  attracted  entries  from  approximately  325,000  students  in
40 countries. Outside of Australia, New Zealand is second only to Singapore for
the number of entries in the competition.

3.
The aims  of the competition  are  to enrich mathematics learning,  discover talent
and generate classroom resources.
Information

4.
The  competition  is  administered  by  the  Board  of  the  Australian  Mathematics
Trust, a not-for-profit body based at the University of Canberra. Its purpose is to
enrich the teaching and learning of mathematics for students of all standards.

5.
The  Australian  Mathematics  Trust  has  representatives  on  its  board  from  the
Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers, Australian Academy of Science
Official
and  Australian  Mathematical  Society.  It  administers  mathematical  enrichment
activities  for  Australian  and  international  students  and  publishes  books  on
mathematical enrichment.

the
6.
The Australian Mathematics Competition is for students of all ability levels, ages
8  to  19.  Students  are  asked  to  solve  thirty  problems  in  60  minutes,  for  primary
age  students,  or  75  minutes  for  intermediate  and  secondary  age  students.  The
problems  get  progressively  more  difficult  until  they  are  challenging  to  the  most
gifted  student,  so  that  all  students  will  make  progress  and  find  a  point  of
challenge1.
under

7.
The awards structure:
a.
Peter O’Halloran Certificate – awarded to students who gain a perfect score
at any level of the competition.

b.
Medals - for students of secondary school level, generally no more than 3
students by region or nation who have performed to an outstanding level.

c.
Prudence awards - for the student in each school (minimum of 50 entrants)
who has the most consecutive responses correct starting from question 1.
Released

1 http://www.amt.edu.au/amcfact.html

3

d.
Prizes  -  are  generally  awarded  to  no  more  than  1  student  for  every
300 students from the same region/country and year level.

e.
High  Distinction  -  awarded  to  a  student  who  has  not  received  a  higher
award  but  is  in  the  top  2%  of  their  year  and  region  (top  5%  for  senior
secondary).

f.
Distinction Certificate - awarded to a student who has not received a higher
1982
award  but  is  in  the  top  15%  (25%  for  senior  secondary)  of  their  year  and
region.

g.
Credit  Certificate  -  awarded  to  a  student  who  has  not  received  a  higher
Act
award  but  is  in  the  top  50%  (60%  for  senior  secondary)  of  their  year  and
region.

h.
Proficiency  or  participation  certificates  -  awarded  to  students  who  do  not
receive higher awards.

8.
Recognised  benefits  of  participation  in  the  Australian  Mathematics  Competition
are:

a.
Students receive a certificate or award commensurate with the level of their
performance, and a report showing how they performed for each question
Information
with comparative statistics.

b.
By  participating  in  a  large  event  and  attempting  the  same  problems  as
other  students  in  other  countries,  students  gain  a  statistically  reliable
measure  of  the  standard  they  have  reached  regionally,  nationally  and
globally.

Official
c.
Schools receive  a confidential set  of  statistics  to  inform their  achievement
data relative to other regions.

d.
Mathematics  competitions,  not  only  the  Australian  Mathematics
the
Competition,  provide  opportunities  for  students  to  exhibit  their  special
talents  and  abilities,  are  part  of  the  continuum  of  curriculum  provision,
enhance  students’  self-directed  learning  skills,  sense  of  autonomy  and
achievement2.
under
New  Zealand  student  participation  and  achievement  in  the  Australian
Mathematics Competition
9.
The  Australian  Mathematics  Competition  is  one  of  a  number  of  mathematical
competitions available to students in New Zealand. It is viewed by teachers and
students  as  an  enhancement  of  the  provision  for  mathematical  learning
experiences in the school curriculum.

10.  In  2012  a  total  number  of  20,244  students  participated  from  330  New  Zealand
schools. This year 60 prizes were awarded, including 5 medals.
Released

2 Bicknell, B. (2012).  Competitions and the mathematically gifted. The University of Waikato,
New Zealand. Available from http://www.giftednz.org.nz/Conference%20PDFs/BIC12030.pdf

4

11.  Typically the top 0.01% globally of the students who sit the competition qualify for
a medal, so as a country New Zealand has performed above the expected ratio
of 1 medal per 10,000 entrants. We usually achieve between 3 – 5 medals each
year.

12.  The  competition’s  aims  reflect  the  vision  of  The  New  Zealand  Curriculum  of
young  New  Zealanders  as  confident,  connected,  actively  involved  life-long
learners.  It  encourages thinking  and  problem  solving, self-management,  as well
1982
as  embodying  the  principle  of  high  expectations,  and  dispositions  for  personal
excellence.

Act
Virtues of achievement in mathematics
13.  The  essence  statement  for  mathematics  and  statistics  in  The  New  Zealand
Curriculum  identifies  that  in  this  learning  area  “students  explore  relationships  in
quantities, space, and data and learn to express these relationships in ways that
help them to make sense of the world around them” (page 17).

14.  Evelyn  Boyd  Granville,  who  is  the  first  African-American  woman  to  earn  a
doctorate  in  mathematics  in  the  United  States,  has  spoken  all  over  America  on
the beauty of math and the need for students to study math in order to train their
Information
minds  for  rigorous  and  logical  thinking.  She  says,  “The  study  of  mathematics
enhances  one's  skill  to  think  logically,  to  solve  problems  and  to  be  creative
thinkers”3.

15.  Common  ideas  about  the  usefulness  of  mathematics,  and  virtues  of  learning
mathematics include:

Official
a.
Practising mathematics
i
develops problem solving and organisational skills useful for everyday
life, such as managing personal finances and time
ii
improves  the  ability  to  recognise  patterns,  and  to  think  logically,
the
analytically, critically and creatively
iii
develops fluency with the symbolic language of mathematical notation
and abstract logic.

b.
Mathematics learning improves
i
career choices and pathways. Mathematical knowledge is utilised for
under
study  and  performance  in  other  fields,  such  as  engineering,  design,
economics  and  even  baking.  Consider,  which  doors  of  choice  close
when you stop learning mathematics?
ii
understanding  of  the  world  around  you.  Mathematics  is  a  universal
language  and  understanding  shared  by  all cultures;  it  influences  our
perception of our world and other’s lives.

c.
Mathematics has value for individuals and wider society because
i
the  technologies  and  science  that  shape  our  world  and  underpin
innovation depend on advanced mathematical understanding
Released

3 http://www.yale.edu/opa/arc-ybc/v28.n23/story9.html

5

ii
the  physical  world  is  governed  by  tremendous  amounts  of
mathematical  relations;  quantities,  rates  of  change,  accumulation  of
effects, even how parents provide iPads or petrol for their teenagers
iii
mathematics communicates relationships concisely
iv
it empowers individuals to manage their own lives and New Zealand
to compete globally.
16.
An  unnamed  student  summed  up  the  virtue  of  learning  mathematics  as  “math
1982
might be hard, but it is hardly useless.”4
Act
Details for the Awards Ceremony
17.
The event is to be held from 12 noon until 2pm on Thursday, 1 November 2012.
The award ceremony wil  take place in the Legislative Council Chamber, followed
by  refreshments  in  the  Grand  Hall.  The  host  is  Executive  Director  of  the
Australian Mathematics Trust, Professor Peter Taylor, who will retire at the end of
this year.
18.
The number of people expected to attend is 100-120, including students and their
parents,  teachers,  Trust  staff,  Committee  Members  and  other  guests.  The
Ministry  cannot  provide  a  confirmed  guest  list  or  that  of  the  awardees,  but
Information
Australian  Mathematics  Competition  Trust  in  Canberra  have  said  these  will  be
forwarded to your office directly.
19.
You  have  been  asked  to  speak  for  up  to  10  minutes  on  the  virtues  of
achievement  in  mathematics,  or  other  appropriate  topic;  speech  notes  are
attached.  You will be introduced by Mr  Atkins,  and your speech is scheduled to
occur at 12.25pm.
Official
20.
You  will  present  the  top  awards  which  are  the  Australian  Mathematics
Competition Medals, to five New Zealand winners.
the
21.
The  awards  ceremony  was  previously  held  in  the  same  venue,  hosted  by
Hon  Steve  Maharey  in  2006,  and  the  Trust  kindly  acknowledges  this  past
hospitality, and your own for this event.
under
Released
4 http://www.math.uakron.edu/~norfolk/why223f03.pdf
6

Document 2
2012 Australian Mathematics Competition
New Zealand Awards Presentation
Legislative Council Chamber, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
Thursday 1 November 2012
DRAFT RUNNING ORDER
Pre-ceremony
1982
11:00 am
9(2)(a)

arrives and sets up room – seat labels, nametags etc.
11:30 am
9(2)(a)

meets photographer; photographer sets up. Act
11:45 am
9(2)(a)

briefs students on proceedings.
11.55 am
Prof Taylor
greets Hon Hekia Parata and accompanying staff in foyer.
Ceremony
Master of Ceremonies:
Mr Warren Atkins
Chair of the Australian Mathematics Foundation
12:00 noon
Mr Atkins
welcomes guests and recipients of awards and introduces
Information
AMT Executive Director, Professor Peter Taylor.
12.05 pm
Prof Taylor
speaks about the AMC and Trust activities.
12:15 pm
Mr Atkins
introduces AMC Director for New Zealand, Mr Gus Gale.
12:16 pm
Mr Atkins
explains the Prudence Awards and invites Mr Gale to
Official
present 15 Prudence Awards for the Wellington region.
Mr Atkins
reads out the name of each Prudence award winner.
(Alan Parris hands certificates to Mr Gale as each name
the is called.)
Mr Gale
Presents 15 AMC Prudence Awards.
12:23 pm
Mr Atkins
explains the Prize Awards and invites Mr Gale to present
five (5) Prize Awards for the Wellington region.
Mr Atkins
reads out the name of each prize winner.
under (Alan Parris hands certificates to Mr Gale as each name
is called.)
Mr Gale
Presents five (5) AMC Prize Awards.
Mr Atkins
introduces Guest of Honour, Hon Hekia Parata, Minister
of Education.
12:25 pm
Hon Hekia Parata
speaks to students and guests.
Released
12:35 pm
Mr Atkins
reads out the name of each of the five (5) medallists and
short biography.
Hon Hekia Parata
presents AMC Medals to five (5) students.
(Alan Parris hands the Medals to Hon Hekia Parata as
each name is called.)
2012 AMC Presentations | Wellington | Running order @ 05/10/12

Photographer
takes photo of each student accepting their Award, and
takes photos of groups as requested at end of
presentations.
12:45 pm
Medallists
remain on the stage for group photo after individual
presentations have concluded.

Prof Taylor
thanks Hon Hekia Parata and presents her with a
memento.
12:50 pm
Mr Atkins
thanks everyone for their attendance and invites all
guests to move to Grand Hall for refreshments.
1982
2 pm – 2.15 pm
Guests depart.

Act

9(2)(a)
AMT contact:

Information

Photographer:
9(2)(a)




Official

Caterer:

9(2)(a)


the



Venue:

9(2)(a)


under



Released
2012 AMC Presentations | Wellington | Running order @ 05/10/12