Census project wins international award as University-led partnership launches world statistics quiz

An innovative statistics project run through a partnership led by Plymouth University has received a prestigious global award.

CensusAtSchool, run by the Royal Statistical Society Centre for Statistical Education (RSSCSE), was named Best Cooperative Project in Statistical Literacy by the International Association of Statistical Education and the International Statistical Literacy Project.

Presented to the RSSCSE AtSchool projects’ leader, Kate Richards, during the 59th International Statistical Institute World Statistical Congress in Hong Kong, a citation states the accolade was given “in recognition of an outstanding, innovative, and influential statistical literacy project that affects a broad segment of the general public and is fruit of the cooperation of different types of institutions”.

The award comes as the RSSCSE launches its first ever world quiz, Stats2013AtSchool, which is open to school aged learners across the globe.

Kate said: “CensusAtSchool is a dynamic, ongoing and exciting initiative that enables teachers and pupils to enhance their data handling skills, leading to improved statistical literacy and thinking. The involvement of different countries vastly increases the potential for the exchange of information between school-aged children and is a unique way to assess global, social and other changes. By continuing to engage with more young people, we can foster a positive attitude to statistics and demonstrate it is both relevant and important to the world they live in.”

CensusAtSchool was launched in the UK in 2000, in conjunction with the Office for National Statistics, and has since developed globally, with sister projects now operating in New Zealand, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, Japan, South Korea and the USA.

Participants in those countries are among those taking part in the new global quiz, a fun and informative initiative being staged to mark the International Year of Statistics.

Accessible online through PCs and hand-held devices, the quiz comprises 12 questions, with feedback and a printable certificate for everyone who takes part, and anyone of school age can take part.

Kate added: “The standard of teaching and learning varies all over the world, but Stats2013AtSchool will help to provide us with a comprehensive picture of global statistics education. It will lead to a greater appreciation of the global beacons of statistical education, and help identify areas where the curriculum needs to be enhanced.”