LAHORE, Aug 15: Fifty-four per cent of young Pakistani students who appeared in an international mathematical contest in March have performed better than the world average.

The Pakistan Kangaroo Commission announced this while declaring the results of the contest in which about 42,000 Pakistani students of grade III to XII from more than 500 schools and colleges participated.

Pakistan also won 12 national top positions. The results declared by the Mathematiques sans Frontiers (Mathematics without Borders) for about 6.3 million students from 46 countries on Monday showed that Pakistani students were among the top four per cent at the world level.

This was Pakistan's seventh year of participation in the international mathematical contest starting from 2005 with about 8,000 students. Their number has risen five times over the past six years.

In 2004, Pakistan was admitted as a member of the international association.

Pakistan Kangaroo Commission President Dr A.D. Raza Chaudhry said in a statement that the results showed that more and more Pakistani students were progressing in mathematics every year and a majority of them demonstrated that they had the talent to compete with rest of the world.

He said a special feature of the contest was that it encouraged students to excel in mathematics and in Pakistan it ignited a much needed enthusiasm for the subject among schoolchildren and their teachers.

“The contest gives students confidence and they feel that their competence is recognised at the world level. It also makes them part of the international community,” he added.

He said students achieving the highest level of performance at the world level would be awarded medals, certificates, cash prizes and fully paid participation in international training camps abroad.

Following students have achieved the highest level of performance in the contest: Khadeeja Mashhood (Roots School, Civil Lines, Rawalpindi), Ali Nawaz (Garrison Junior Academy, Lahore Cantonment), Rehan Sheraz (Roots School, Harley Street, Rawalpindi), Shameer Ahmed (Siddiq Public School, Satellite Town, Rawalpindi), Usama Arif (Engro Grammar School, Ghotki), Ahsan Muhammad (Beaconhouse School System, PECHS, Karachi), Muhammad Osama Kayani (Pakturk International School and College, Clifton, Karachi), Amaar Asif (Foundation Public School, Defence, Phase-II, Karachi), Omar Farooq (Roots School, DHA, Phase-1, Islamabad), Waqas Akmal Butt (City School, Capital Campus, Islamabad), Dilsher Ahmed (International School of Chouefat, Johar Town, Lahore) and Muhammad Ahmad Malik (Sadiq Public School, Bahawalpur).

The principals of Bahria College, Naval Campus, Islamabad; Bai Virbaiji Soparivala Parsi High School, Karachi and Beaconhouse School System, Faisalabad won the “Principal of the Year” award for preparing their students for the contest. Azhar Majeed Khan, principal of Bahria College, Islamabad will receive the award for the third time. — Reporter