Funding sought for maths pupils

Press, 13 May 1989, Page 5

Funding sought for maths pupils

By

TOM METCALFE

A group of high school pupils off to West Germany for an international mathematics competition are having trouble finding the money to get there. Seven pupils from schools throughout New Zealand have been selected as representatives at the thirtieth International Mathematical Olympiad, to be held this year in Brunswick, West Germany. The team’s leader, Professor Derek Holton, of Otago University, said about $lB,OOO was needed to send six team members to the competition. One of

the team is a reserve, and will not travel to the competition unless someone else is unable to go. While some sponsorship was available, the team stil ndeded about $ll,OOO, Professor Holton said.

One sponsor, National Mutual, had given about $4OOO to help with the costs of a training camp held over the last few days at St Andrew’s College, he said. Nineteen pupils attended the camp, from which the seven team members were selected.

They are: Shane Blackett, of Melville High School, Hamilton; Stuart Faulds, of Otago Boys’;

High School, Dunedin; Neal Glew,of Newlands College, Wellington; Michael Porteous, of St Paul’s Collegiate, Hamilton; Samantha Stephenson, of Epsom Girls’ Grammar School, Auckland; Karl Tomlinson, of Edgewater College, Auckland.

Robert O’Callahan, of Auckland Boys’ Grammar School, is the reserve for the team. Teams from about 50 countries will take part in the olympiad this year. This is the second year that a team from New Zealand has competed.