Curro Group has seen an increase in participation in the local leg of the World Robot Olympiad(WRO),with 1 945 learners from 162 schools competing at provincial level.
The JSE-listed independent school group, whose coding and robotics curriculum was established in 2013, is the local host of the WRO. The regional finals took place on 3 August at various Curro schools across the country.
According to a statement, the WRO regional competition was held in six provinces − Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo − with winners selected from each province.
A total of 138 winning teams will compete in the next round, the national competition, across five categories.
Two new provinces were added to the competition this year to accommodate the growing number of regional participants – the highest number to date.
This increase is a testament to a growing interest in robotics and coding, as well as dedication to shaping the next generation of leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), says Curro.
A total of 755 teams from 162 different schools took part at the provincial level, an increase from the 40 teams that participated when SA first joined the WRO in 2010.
The final, where the best and brightest in robotics will be selected to represent SA on the world stage, will take place at Curro Aurora in Randburg on 13 and 14 September. They will compete in the international finals on 28 and 30 November, in Izmir, Turkey.
“This growth is due to continuous training, competition preparations and internal cluster competitions, together with teacher passion and growing confidence through these efforts,” says Jurie de Jager, Curro curriculum lead for coding and robotics, and WRO Western Cape vice-chairman.
Nationally, the introduction of coding and robotics as a curriculum subject has elevated the scope and potential of educational technology at an extramural level, he adds.
Most recently, the Mpumalanga provincial government introduced coding and robotics in 128 schools, as part of its pilot programme, with provincial governments across SA expected to follow suit.
The World Robot Olympiad takes place in over 95 countries, with a mission to promote robotics in STEM education worldwide.
Categories in the 2024 global competition include RoboMission, where teams build and programme LEGO robots to tackle field challenges; RoboSports, featuring teams designing robots to compete in sports games; Future Innovators, focused on developing robotics projects to address real-world problems; and Future Engineers, which involves creating advanced robotics solutions based on current research trends.
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