STIRLING High School pupils excelled in the recent National Junior Accounting Olympiad, securing the top-three spots in the Eastern Cape.
Grade 9 pupil Peter McCausland came in joint first place together with a pupil from King Edward High School in Matatiele, winning a Vodafone VP685 Smart Kika. Haydon Anderson took the runner-up spot alongside a pupil from Cala Senior Secondary School, and Jada Freeman took third place.
“I was shocked when I discovered that I had won! There is a possibility that I might follow a career in accounting, so I will be taking the subject next year. I enjoy accounting because it’s based off logic,” McCausland said.
The top-10 accounting pupils at Stirling were selected to take part in the Olympiad, which consisted of two rounds.
Pupils commented that the first round was the trickiest as many of the questions dealt with topics not covered in the current syllabus.
Accounting teacher Carlyn Smith commended the win-ners on their achievements.
“They have a strong work ethic and enjoy accounting. We have a strong group of teachers and pupils and we consolidate the basics on a regular basis,” Smith said.
A total of 1386 pupils from 153 schools in the Eastern Cape took part in the Olympiad which was presented by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and Sage One.
SAICA project manager of marketing and communications Karin Inten said: “The Junior Accounting Olympiad tests whether pupils have mastered both the accounting content and methodology covered in the Grade 9 syllabus.”
SAICA senior executive in nation-building Gugu Makhanya said: “It’s exciting to see how much young accounting talent we have in this country. We are also pleased to see that the Olympiad is meeting its goal of getting high school pupils enthusiastic about a career in finance. This supports our goal of helping to grow the number of chartered accountants in South Africa, as well as to transform the profession.”
Head of Sage One International Steven Cohen said: “Identifying and building young accounting talent is important for South Africa’s future as these youngsters will be the businesspeople and entrepreneurs that drive the country’s prosperity. Congratulations to all who entered – your passion and excellence shows South Africa has a great pipeline of young talent for the future.”