Old Mutual has sent six secondary school leavers to South Africa where they will contest in this year’s Pan African Mathematics Olympiad (PAMO) with an advice to learners to cease from regarding mathematics as a difficult subject.

The student are Tusekile Mwakighonja (St. Mary’s Secondary), Holence Kachepa Gelevazio (Robert Blake Secondary), Charles Fostino Louis (Blantyre Secondary School), Wantwa Aliciah Mwamtowe (Marymount Catholic Secondary) , Joseph Goodluck Nsamila (Chisomo Private Secondary) and Yankho Frecy Maseko (Marymount Catholic Secondary).

Marketing and Communications Manager for Old Mutual, Patience Chatsika, said it is important to inspire learners to boost on Mathematics.

She said this on Sunday during a send-off for the learners at the Kamuzu International Airport in capital Lilongwe.

“We need to grow more people in the financial sector. If we don’t encourage the students from secondary school level to like mathematics, how are we going to have future insurers,” Chatsika said.

She added: “We believe that when people say that mathematics is a difficult subject it’s just an attitude. We have understood from the students that mathematics is not a difficult subject.”

One of the contestants, Tusekile Nwakiyonja, said perfect practice is paramount to excel in mathematics.

“Mathematics is like any subject; it is simple. The more you practice every day, the more you get good grades,” Tusekile said.

PAMO is an annual prestigious event of the African Mathematics Union where best learners under 20 learners in Mathematics of Secondary Education compete.

The competition will run from 31 March to 1 April 2019 at AIMS South Africa in Muizenberg, Cape Town.