Two teams, from Tran Cao Van and Le Quy Don primary schools in Da Nang, won first prizes at the International Robothon 2016 which was held in Malaysia’s Tunku Abdul Rahman University on 4 December.

Headmistress Le and the winners

Mrs Ngo Thi Le, Headmistress of Le Quy Don School, said “The prize is the deserved reward for my pupils’ relentless efforts to overcome challenges and difficulties.”

She added that it was initially very difficult to encourage her pupils and their parents to register for extracurricular courses about Robothon due to their difficult economic situations.  At this year’s National Robothon, her pupils won 2 gold medals and one silver and, as a result, her school’s 2 Robothon teams were selected to compete in the International Robothon 2016 in Malaysia.

Mrs Le and the teachers in her school together donated 10 million VND to help the teams cover their travel expenses.  She also appealed for an additional 8 million VND from generous donors to help them.    

Mr Nguyen Dinh Vinh, Director of the Da Nang Department of Education and Training, said “This international competition is a good opportunity for local pupils to show their love and passion for science, especially automated science.  Over recent years, Da Nang has facilitated local pupils to register for extracurricular courses based on their hobbies, including Robothon.  Cultivating a passion for learning will help pupils gain the best possible results.”