MEC launches ‘Toda Matemática’ at OBMEP awards ceremony in Rio

30/6/2025

On Monday (30), the Ministry of Education (MEC) launched the “All Mathematics National Commitment”. The aim of the program is to develop actions to guarantee quality teaching and improve students’ academic performance in the subject. The announcement was made at the National Awards Ceremony of the 19th OBMEP (Brazilian Public School Math Olympics), which brought together 683 students from all Brazilian states and the Federal District to receive the gold medal of the scientific competition.

“In the same way that we launched the national commitment to literate children, with targets set with states and municipalities, we are launching the ‘Todo Matemática Commitment’ to support teacher training and provide technical and financial support to basic education networks to improve mathematics learning,” said the Minister of Education, Camilo Santana.

The federal government’s initiative aims to reduce regional inequalities, consolidating the subject as an essential tool for developing the country’s students. The decree creating the program will be signed by the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos, highlighted the importance of OBMEP for the country. “It’s not just the biggest scientific competition in the country, it’s a feast of knowledge! Proof that when we give opportunities, our young people shine. Today, we see what a spectacle it is to have such a large number of young people, girls and boys, taking part en masse in this Olympiad, which is so important for popularizing science.”

Promoted by the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (IMPA) since 2005, the OBMEP annually brings together more than 18.5 million students in 99.9% of Brazilian municipalities. Marcelo Viana, the institute’s director-general, highlighted the impact of the Olympiad’s two decades of success.

“At 20 years old, OBMEP is all over the country, discovering and encouraging talent all over the country and bearing fruit, with graduates from the Olympiad occupying prominent positions. The Scientific Initiation programs, such as PIC, PICME and training programs like POTI, which ensure the right of students to study mathematics with the support of federal agencies. In addition, there is the Olimpíada Mirim, which aims to encourage younger children to have a good relationship with mathematics, and IMPA Tech, IMPA’s first undergraduate course, which has medal winners”.

The ceremony was also attended by the secretary of MEC’s Basic Education Department, Kátia Helena Serafina Cruz Schweickardt, the secretary of Science and Technology for Social Development at MCTI, Inácio Arruda, the state secretary of Education for Rio de Janeiro, Roberta Barreto, and the municipal secretary of Education for Rio, Renan Ferreirinha, who won the OBMEP medal.

The ceremony marked the presentation of the Olympic Girls Trophy. Created in 2018 to encourage female participation in scientific competitions, the award recognizes young talent and seeks to reduce gender inequalities in mathematics. In this edition, 16 female students were honored. “I’m very happy for this opportunity. It’s my first gold medal and it’s been a remarkable experience. It was very exciting to receive the trophy for outstanding achievement. There aren’t many girls in mathematics and the award encourages even more female participation and interest in the area,” said student Leticia Damaceno (CE).

OBMEP medals also open doors to higher education. Institutions of excellence, such as IMPA Tech, Unicamp and USP, offer selection processes aimed at students who have won prizes in scientific olympiads, valuing the performance and potential of national medal winners. This year, 15 students studying for a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics of Technology and Innovation at IMPA Tech received gold medals that helped them secure a place at the institution.

In addition to the 683 gold medals, the 19th edition of OBMEP handed out 1,962 silver medals, 5,851 bronze medals and 51,002 honorable mentions, as well as state awards. The award ceremonies are organized regionally.

OBMEP: 20 years of success

Created in 2005 by IMPA, the OBMEP is promoted with funds from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and the Ministry of Education (MEC). Aimed at students from the 6th year of primary school to the 3rd year of secondary school, the Olympiad helps to stimulate the study of mathematics and identify young talents in the subject. Other objectives of the initiative are to promote social inclusion through the dissemination of knowledge and to contribute to improving the quality of basic education, enabling a greater number of Brazilian students to access quality teaching material.

National OBMEP medalists can take part in the PIC (Junior Scientific Initiation Program), which offers advanced math classes. Students from public schools who take part in the program receive a monthly grant of R$300 from the CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development).