UniForum SA, the organisation that maintains the co.za domain registry, is backing this year's Computer Applications Olympiad in an effort to identify, encourage and reward computer application skills in high school students.
The event is organised by the South African Computer Olympiad Trust (SACOT), an organisation established by the Computer Society of SA to promote and administer the annual South African computer Olympiads.
In addition to the Computer Applications Olympiad, SACOT arranges and hosts the Computer Aptitude Olympiad and the Computer Programming Olympiad.
Fiona Wallace, director of UniForum SA, says the organisation will sponsor the Olympiad in line with UniForum SA's commitment to advancing ICT in education through its Co.za Cares Corporate Social Investment programme.
More than 5 000 high schools across SA are invited to take part in the Olympiads each year. The Computer Applications Olympiad was introduced last year and drew more than 6 000 registrations.
The Olympiad is focused on the usage of common application tools such as word processing, spreadsheets and databases.
Peter Waker, CEO of SACOT, says: “We recognised the need for this Olympiad last year because more and more schools are offering the subject computer applications technology to their pupils.
“It is a subject that is attracting a diverse population of learners and one that helps prepare youngsters for a technology-driven workplace. We believe that there is a great deal of benefit in promoting the value of this subject through an Olympiad.”
The Olympiad attracts entries from schools in under-resourced communities and helps to promote the importance of ICT in these schools.
Schools are invited to register for the Computer Applications Olympiad at www.olympiad.org.za.
The applications round will take place on Friday, 12 August at schools. Between 10 and 15 of the best performers will take part in the final computer applications round to be held the University of Cape Town on 4 October. An awards ceremony will take place on 5 October.
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