More than 22,000 nine, ten and eleven year-olds in regional NSW made history yesterday (Wednesday 6 October), competing in the annual Newcastle Permanent Primary School Mathematics Competition.

The largest and longest-running competition of its kind in Australia was delivered digitally for the first time in its 40-year history.

A record number of 22,170 Year 5 and 6 students competed for top honours.

The exam that tests the age group’s numeracy and problem-solving skills, attracted students from 363 NSW schools.

Newcastle Permanent CEO Bernadette Inglis said the organisation was determined to host the event, despite current lockdowns.

“There’s no doubt COVID-19 has created many barriers to student learning, but time and again teachers and students have proved their resilience and found new ways of working,” she said.

“We know how much students across regional NSW look forward to this competition each year, so we’ve done the same, adapting to an online solution.

“Giving back to our community is at the heart of who we are as a customer owned organisation, and we’re delighted to give local students something to get excited about – which we can see they are by the record number of registered participants this year.”

The Newcastle Permanent Primary School Mathematics Competition has attracted more than half a million students since its inception in 1981.

In its inaugural year it boasted just 2,337 students.

“Whether they’re completing it from home or from school [we] look forward to presenting the awards to our star mathematicians later this year,” Ms Inglis said.

The Newcastle Permanent Primary School Mathematics Competition is completed without a ruler or calculator. 

Winners are awarded complimentary Newcastle Permanent accounts, with top performers also invited to compete in the annual Newcastle Permanent Primary School Online Mathematics Team Challenge in May 2022.

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