EGMORE, CHENNAI—First In Math® Online Program-India CEO Monica Patel visited the Don Bosco Matriculation Hr. Sec. School in Egmore, Chennai, this summer.
The School, named after Saint John Bosco, was founded in 1959. It was the first school in India to make the First In Math program a mainstay on their website by including images of weekly winners and posting their position on the FIM Rankings.
Father Irudayaraj (center) beams with pride as Monica Patel presents Ms. Sathyapriya with a First In Math Team Leader award and a 24® game.
“This school has a rich history of notable alumni, such as Indian chess Grandmaster and former World Chess Champion, Viswanathan Anand,” explains Patel. “So when I addressed students and teachers, I suggested a goal for them. I told them that Bosco gave the world a chess champion—now they should do the same for maths.”
“The young heroes responded to my call beyond all expectations,” says Patel. “Within a month, they had solved more than 1,846,200 maths problems, and became the top school on International FIM Rankings.”
Back in the US, Patel says she can still feel the combined energy of the school, led by dynamic Rev. Father Irudayaraj. “I first met Father Irudayaraj in January 2014. His hospitality is second to none, and we spent several hours discussing maths instruction. Like all great educators, he had a unique vision.” The school possesses numerous awards in cricket and chess, so to make the maths program more relatable, Irudayaraj’s idea was to approach it like a sport.
“This is a successful tactic that many top US schools also employ,” says Patel, adding that she is not surprised that the top five students on the International Rankings are from Don Bosco, with plenty more peppered across the Top Players category.
Maths coordinator Mr. Suresh Thomas and Technology administrator John Bernard Anthony also play crucial roles in motivating the boys. Teachers guided by Mr. Victor Raj complete this dynamic team.
Taking their teachings a step further, information about the compelling story of First In Math is shared with parents, to create a community that speaks the common language of First In Math. Specifically, parents are also made aware of Family Link™, a feature that allows students to earn an extra FIM User ID/Password to share with a parent or sibling.