51st Mathematics Competition: Award Ceremony in the University's Foundry House

State Secretary of Education and Cultural Affairs Dr. Manuel Lösel personally congratulated the winners: "The Hessian Mathematics Competition is not only one of our most important school competitions, but also one whose history we look back on with great pride. I am pleased to be able to honor the winners again this year and to congratulate them on their outstanding successes. The competition shows that mathematics continues to enjoy unbroken popularity at school. After all, it awakens interest in the important fundamentals of mathematics and thus promotes talent. My thanks therefore also go to all the teachers who transfer their enthusiasm for mathematics to our students!"

Dr. Thomas Brunn, member of the board of the employers' association HESSENMETALL, which sponsors the competition, attested that the students have excellent career opportunities in the metal and electrical industry: "Our industry is the largest employer in Hesse and in Germany. Currently, there are more than 7,000 vacant apprenticeship positions nationwide, and in the field of study we have more than 1,500 vacancies for mechanical engineers alone," and hailed the obligation for high schools to lead toward career orientation as an important support for young people and their parents. In particular, Brunn praised the fact that the investments made by the Hessian state government and local authorities in school equipment also include a focus on vocational schools.

"As an engineer, it's quite helpful if you can do math... and most of the time it's also useful in real life. Besides, there is no scientific study that proves math is harmful!" said Dr. Christoph Pohl, Managing Director of etaopt GmbH in Kassel, underlining the fundamental relevance of good math skills with a wink.

Prof. Dr. Rita Borromeo Ferri, Prof. Dr. Andreas Meister, from the MINTERFACE project and the Institute of Mathematics at the University of Kassel, who were co-hosts of the event, were delighted with the students' enthusiasm for mathematics. With their lively talk about the applicability of mathematics in various professional fields, they illustrated that mathematicians work in a communicative, interdisciplinary and international way. "I would like to pass on my joy and enthusiasm as an applied mathematician who has also been in practice for a long time," said Prof. Meister, "to the learners. Mathematics is more than arithmetic!" Prof. Borromeo Ferri showed how the application aspect of mathematics can be integrated into the classroom from early school years. "The question of many, what one actually needs mathematics for in life," says Prof. Borromeo Ferri as a mathematics didactician, "should be answered as early as possible through motivating and life-world related mathematics teaching."

Winners of task group A - high schools

Winners of task group B - secondary schools

The winners of task group C - secondary schools

The following schools were honored because they participated particularly successfully in the competition:

Task group A - Grammar schools

Augustinerschule, Friedberg
Goethe-Gymnasium, Bensheim
Lessing-Gymnasium, Lampertheim

Task group B - Secondary schools

Goldbachschule, Dillenburg
Heinrich-von-Bibra-Schule, Fulda
Jahnschule, Hünfeld

Task group C - Secondary schools

Don-Bosco-Schule, Künzell
Limesschule, Idstein
Wilhelm-Lueckert-Schule, Kassel

The mathematics competition of the state of Hesse has existed since 1968. Participants are students in grade 8. A unique feature is the separation by school type, which enables a school comparison that is followed with great interest by all participants. Initially offered for voluntary participation, it became increasingly mandatory from 2000 onwards. Between 2001 and 2011, and since 2016, participation has again been mandatory for all general education schools in Hesse. The Hessenmetall employers' association has supported the competition since 2000 as a lobby group for Hesse's largest industry, which offers challenging apprenticeships in which good knowledge of mathematics is essential. Further information http://www.mathematik-wettbewerb.de