BMC brings finance olympiad to kids

Mumbai: For the first time ever, 31 BMC-run schools have been selected for the International Finance Olympiad (IFO) at the regional level. Over 160 students of class 8 and 9 appeared at the district level, out of which 31 have now qualified. The civic body is expecting five students to represent India at a national level.

Mahesh Palkar, BMC educational officer, said, “We had initially selected more than 1,000 students out of 24 administrative wards. These students were selected on the basis of their academic performance. The students are specifically taught about finance, economics and accounts of our country. This enhances their knowledge regarding the financial sector.”

“Out of 31 students who have been selected, 17 belong to class 8 and 14 are from class 9. Out of these 31 students, five will reach the national level where they will represent the country. It will be a very proud moment for all,” he said. The students have been trained free-of-charge by an NGO, Educo. Training was imparted to the teachers as well. The IFO examination will be conducted on Wednesday at R.B.K. International School, Bhayandar, and will comprise 15 minute crosswords, 20 minute interviews and a 30 minute written examination. Mr Palkar said, “This examination will have negative marking which is very new for our students. But because it is a huge exam for them, we will try our best to train them in a professional manner.”

After the Maths, Science and English Olympiad, IFO is the fourth such project initiated by the BMC for its students. The Olympiads have been introduced to provide students an opportunity to take the learning experience beyond academics.