Super 30 founder Anand Kumar says systematic learning helps China to win Maths Olympiad

Super 30 founder Anand Kumar, who visited Chinese educational institutions and interacted with Maths teachers and students, has said that foundation learning and systematic grooming of teachers helped China to consistently win the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO).

"One striking reason behind China's dominance at the IMO is its national emphasis on foundational learning and the systematic grooming of teachers," Kumar said.

China began participating in the IMO about 40 years ago and has secured the top position 25 times — a testament to its sustained excellence, he said.

"This dominance comes from years of rigorous nurturing from the foundational stage, shaping students to become inquisitive, sharp, and disciplined,” he said in a press release.

India, too, can adopt such a model through structured training, sustained encouragement and early identification of promising talent for teacher development, he added.

Invited by Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC), Kumar said he interacted with teachers and students at Shanghai Jinyuan Senior High School -- one of China's premier and 120-year-old institutions and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.