The University of the West of Scotland (UWS) is once again organising the world-wide Mathematics and Language competition “Mathématiques sans Frontières” in Scotland (and also branching out to England and Northern Ireland!).
We are hopeful that, after an interrupted competition in 2021, we continue to offer a stimulating and light-hearted competition which combines Mathematics and Modern Languages.
For those of you who have not taken part previously, this competition aims to motivate pupils in these subjects, promote teamwork throughout pupils of all abilities, and bridge borders between countries across the world.
Please find attached a training (“Discovery”) test for “Mathématiques Sans Frontières” and one entry form for the competition proper.
S4 classes should attempt questions 1-10 and S5 classes questions 1-13. A whole class should attempt the test with questions divided up between groups to ensure that the questions can be completed in the allotted time of 90 minutes. Question 1 will require an explanation in a foreign language. We hope that this encourages cross-curricular working and teamwork. Answers are also attached, in French, which provides another opportunity for teamwork in the translation.
The competition proper will be held on Thursday 10 March 2022. Social-distancing restrictions permitting, the prize-giving will be held in June at UWS when the achievements of the top ten schools at each level are recognised. All schools competing will receive a certificate.
Schools who would like to register for the competition are kindly requested to complete the proforma attached and return by 28 January 2021.
We will send out the actual test as a PDF file by e-mail on the Friday prior to the test. This has proved to be very popular and we intend continuing to issue the test in this format. We would therefore kindly ask you to ensure that the e-mail address provided is legible or, preferably, typed. It would also be beneficial to provide an alternative e-mail address, possibly a personal address, which may help prevent firewall issues.
We hope you will give serious consideration to entering the competition and look forward to hearing from you.