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The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants’ (SAICA’s) Junior Accounting Olympiad is back!
With tablets, cell phones and bags up for grabs for the top learners in every province, there is no reason why grade 9’s wishing to put their accounting knowledge to the test should not speak to their accounting teachers to find out how their school can take part.
‘SAICA is calling all grade 9’s who are passionate about accounting and are considering becoming chartered accountants to enter its 2017 Junior Accounting Olympiad,’ says Matsoso Tsoaeli, SAICA Project Director: Transformation and Growth
‘The Olympiad, which is open to grade 9 learners, is there to help learners decide whether or not to choose accounting as a subject for their final school years as well as to give them the chance to test just how well they have mastered the accounting syllabus thus far – all while standing the chance to win some great prizes,’ he adds.
Now in its fourth year, the SAICA Junior Accounting Olympiad is a forerunner to the country’s highly anticipated annual Accounting Olympiad, which targets learners in grades 11 and 12. These Olympiads are a key part of SAICA’s annual school project calendar and exist to attract the next generation of young achievers to chartered accountancy as a career of choice.
Tsoali adds that these Olympiads do more than just help learners make informed career choices.
They also promote healthy competition among learners and serve as great practice in preparing them for their year-end exams.
How can your school get involved? High schools wishing to have their learners participate have until August 4, 2017 to submit their entries.
Participating schools are selected by the district co-ordinators of the provincial departments of education, in conjunction with SAICA.
Only 20 districts will be selected to participate nationwide and once a specific school is selected, educators are then tasked to identify five to 15 learners in grade 9 who they believe have the most accounting talent and enter them to participate in the Junior Accounting Olympiad.
The Olympiad will be written on August 31, 2017.