Over 150,000 people expected to take part in week long Maths festivalThe Minister of State for Innovation and Research, Sean Sherlock T.D., has launched this year’s Maths Week, which will run from 12th to 20th October.
More than 150,000 people are expected to take part in this inclusive, all-island annual festival aimed at promoting maths for everyone.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Sherlock said: “The Department of Education and Skills is very pleased to support Maths Week again this year. This Government is committed to the development of the knowledge economy and is delighted to fund important initiatives like Maths Week which promotes mathematics across the age groups and throughout the entire island.
“Maths Week is a North/South initiative and is a partnership network between groups from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland who have an interest in the promotion of mathematics. The festival includes all of the universities north and south along with colleges of education, libraries, museums, science and visitor centres as partners”.
This is the eight year of Maths Week Ireland, which is the biggest festival of its kind in the world.
A variety of fun and interesting events for children and adults will take place during the festival. Over 200 fun and interesting events will take place during the week. National and international mathematicians will bring maths to life for people of all ages through maths games, teasers, challenges and magic maths shows.
“For the first time this year, students sat exams in all strands of the Project Maths initiative. I was particularly pleased with the increased proportion of students opting for higher level Maths. There was also an increase in the uptake of higher level Science,” said the Minister.
“It is important that people have a positive image of maths from an early age so I would strongly encourage parents to seek out events in their area and involve their children in the tremendous range of activities on offer”.
Eoin Gill, Maths Week Ireland Coordinator, said: “During the week we hope to help people of all ages to understand how helpful a good understanding of maths can be in their everyday lives. People often have a notion that their brain isn’t configured for maths. The reality is that while not everyone can score an A1 in Higher Level Maths, everyone can learn to enjoy maths if we change the way we think about it.”
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Notes to Editor
Co-ordinated by CALMAST (Centre for the Advancement of Learning Maths, Science and technology) at Waterford Institute of Technology, Maths Week Ireland is run as a partnership of over 50 institutions and groups, including the universities and institutes of technology, professional bodies, libraries and visitor centres who are committed to promoting an interest in mathematics.
Highlights include:
· Maths in the City on Dublin’s Grafton Street on Saturday 12 October and in Belfast on 19 October,
· a talk by Keith Devlin on Maths and gaming in the National Concert Hall on Monday 14 October,
· Maths greatest unsolved puzzles in UCC,
· Bubbles the Mathematical Clown in Waterford Institute of Technology,
· Maths and Rhythm in Marino College, Dublin and
· The Maths Magic Show with Mathemagician Andrew Jeffrey in Dublin, Letterkenny and Universities of Ulster Coleraine and Magee
For more events visit: http://www.mathsweek.ie/