Fifth, sixth and seventh grade students from the province’s public schools are taking a Mathematics test until this Friday, as part of the MateSalta Olympic pre-contest. It is a provincial competition organized by teachers from Salta, unlike the Ñandú that the Argentine Mathematical Olympiad takes on primary students.
“We work with the province’s curricular designs, that is, we do not add extra content except for the Pythagorean Theorem, which we do add because it is really necessary,” explained the professor who is the author of the initiative, Alberto Brizuela. This year, MateSalta has three categories: fifth grade, which is the first level; sixth grade second level and seventh grade “Nahuel” level. The latter, in honor of his little son who died last year.
After the pre-contest, the first institutional instance of MateSalta will be held on June 5, followed by the second departmental instance on August 19, and finally the third provincial instance will be held on November 8 and 9.
The Olympic competition began in 2022, but this dates back years, when Professor Brizuela recognized a gap in the participation of public schools in events of this type. Aware of the economic and resource limitations that these institutions faced, as well as the barriers that prevented teachers from guiding their students in these competitions, he set out to create an inclusive and free Olympiad for all: MateSalta.
“With this, in some way, some update also comes to light that the curricular designs must have in order to be able to work, for example, in this Olympiad context,” Brizuela said, encouraging primary students, starting in fifth grade. , to join this challenge, where they will test their mathematical talent and numerical skills.
Students during the test last year.
The teacher also called on active teachers to join this project in order to increase the mathematical potential of the children, providing tools and resources conducive to the development of mathematical skills, which they can then offer to their students.
The road to realizing this project was not without challenges. From the initial presentation to the Ministry to implementation in classrooms, each step required commitment and a clear vision. However, with the support of the Ministry of Education and the collaboration of various actors, including the teachers and students themselves, MateSalta began to take shape and is moving forward.
The MateSalta team, led by Professor Brizuela, is made up of a diverse group of professionals dedicated to primary and secondary education and mathematics learning. Among the notable members are: Patricia Fath, Claudia Nazar, Alejandra Blas, Franco Emilio, Sofía Huertas, Marcelo Brizuela, Marta Gallardo and Elisa Caro.
These educators, with their vast experience and passion for education, are essential to the success and expansion of MateSalta throughout the province. This is a non-tariff activity that grants teaching points, dependent on the Secretary of Educational Planning.
Regarding training for teachers, the MateSalta team is scheduled to travel to various places in the province to give workshops on solving problem situations in the context of the Mathematical Olympiad. Some of the places included in the itinerary are:
Lajitas: May 11
Metan: June 8
Tartagal: June 29
Shipment: July 27
Cachi: August 31
Güemes: November 7
Chicoana: November 29
Cafayate: October 5
