The Minister of State for Research and Innovation, Seán Sherlock,TD, has welcomed the 7th annual Maths Week.
This week-long all-Ireland festival is designed to raise awareness, appreciation and understanding of mathematics for all ages, and is the biggest festival of its kind in the world.
Encompassing 100 different events for all age groups, Maths Week 2012 was launched in Dublin and Belfast last week and commences on Saturday October 13th.
Commenting on this year’s festival, Minister Sherlock said: “The Department of Education and Skills is very pleased to support Maths Week again this year.
“I particularly welcome the innovative all-Ireland approach to mathematics promotion, which involves a diverse range of age groups and organisations across the entire island.”
He continued: “Maths Week is of great significance given the Government’s commitment to the development of the knowledge economy.
“In the education field, this commitment is reflected in the continuing investment in the roll-out of Project Maths; the priority given to numeracy in the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, and the forthcoming reform of the physical sciences at senior cycle.”
The Week begins with “Maths in the City” in Dublin on Saturday 13th and finishes with “Maths in the City” Belfast on Saturday 20th. Some 150,000 people are expected to take part in diverse activities including presentations on the maths behind sports, the maths in President Obama’s mobile phone, the diagnosis of cancer, and climate change, as well as maths puzzles and magic shows.
The festival is co-ordinated by Calmast at Waterford Institute of Technology and is run in conjunction with over 50 organisations, including institutes of technology and libraries.
The Minister concluded: “This annual festival completely dispels the myth that maths can’t be fun, and I would urge parents to seek out events in their area, to involve their children in the wonderful range of activities on offer.
“That one inspirational moment could make a huge difference to a child’s appreciation of maths”.
For further information, log onto www.mathsweek.ie and facebook.com/MathsWeekIreland, or follow events on Twitter @mathsweek