Muscat: The Ministry of Education, represented by the Department of Innovation and the Scientific Olympiad, will continue its training camp this week for the six participating students from the Sultanate of Oman in the 63rd edition of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2022, scheduled to be held in the Kingdom of Norway from the 6th to 16th of July 2022.

On the importance of the Omani students getting a course of preparation and training for the all-important world contest, Ma’en Al Hinai, Senior Scientific Olympiad specialist in the Ministry, said: “The Ministry sought to discover students who are good at mathematics, select the elite among them and refine their skills through training on scientific subjects in all the four areas of mathematics, namely, algebra, geometry, number theory and combinations. The selection of participating students went through three stages: First, the nomination of educational directorates in different governorates for selection of students who were good at mathematics during the academic year, second, a virtual training programme with more than thirty participating students in cooperation with a group of academics to select a national team to participate in this global scientific forum, and third establishment of an intensive training camp (in-person attendance) in which six students were trained ten hours in a day for a full week, in solving global exercises and problems inspired by previous international Olympiads to familiarise them with the patterns and methods of solving different questions.”

Dr. Mahmoud bin Muhammad Al-Hashami, a mathematics teacher from Mazen bin Ghadouba School in the Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah, and a mathematics trainer for the students said: “The students participating in this camp are among the best in the Sultanate and they are all trained in the four topics of mathematics, and various international problems and tests. I see in them enthusiasm and diligence and hope they will achieve advanced positions in this Olympiad.”

The participating students, on their part expressed their eagerness to participate in the world contest in the Kingdom of Norway and expressed their appreciation of the efforts made by the Ministry to provide training to them, to impart knowledge to them that touches their passion, and to enhance their psychological and mental readiness to represent the Sultanate in the World Olympiad. The training courses play a major role in developing students’ skills and building up their self-confidence, in addition to improving their academic level and expanding their knowledge base in mathematics in its various branches.