31/05/2026
Improving EAMO(East African Maths Olympiad)Performance for South Sudan:The Role of Curriculum and Early Mathematical Exposure
South Sudanese Students Are Not Weak in Mathematics
For the past few years, the South Sudan National Team has not performed well in the East African Mathematics Olympiad (EAMO). Many people quickly conclude that South Sudanese students are weak in mathematics. However, this conclusion is unfair and incorrect. The real problem is not the ability of the students, but rather the weakness of the current mathematics system and curriculum used in many schools.
South Sudanese students are intelligent, creative, and capable of competing with students from other East African countries. The challenge is that many students are introduced to advanced mathematical thinking too late. Mathematics Olympiad questions require deep reasoning, critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Unfortunately, our current high school curriculum focuses mostly on routine classroom exercises and examinations rather than mathematical exploration and advanced thinking.
In countries that perform highly in Mathematics Olympiads, students begin training at an early stage. They are introduced to logical thinking, number theory, geometry, combinatorics, and algebraic reasoning while still young. In South Sudan, many students first hear about Mathematics Olympiads only when they are already in senior classes. By then, students have very little time to prepare for international competitions.
Therefore, Mathematics Olympiad training should begin in Grade 9, which is Senior One. At this stage, students are still developing their mathematical mindset and can easily build strong reasoning abilities. Early exposure to Olympiad mathematics will improve confidence, creativity, and analytical thinking among learners.
To improve the performance of South Sudan in EAMO, several important steps must be taken.
First, schools should establish Mathematics Clubs where student