Students from the Maldives have won gold medals in the Young Mathematical Story Authors (YMSA) 2026 competition, achieving first place in all three age divisions.

The YMSA contest, the globe's first and largest global challenge encouraging mathematical storytelling for students aged 4 to 16, is hosted by the UK-based Maths Through Stories program. It motivates students to inventively depict mathematical ideas through unique storybooks.

As stated by the Ministry of Education, this marks the first occurrence in the competition's history that one nation has secured the highest prizes in all three age categories: 4–7 years, 8–11 years, and 12–16 years. The ministry did not reveal the identities of the successful students.

The contest has drawn over 7,000 students from more than 40 nations since it started and is acknowledged by the ministry as the top worldwide standard for creative mathematical literacy.

Education Minister Ismail Shafeeu praised the students, calling their accomplishment an exceptional milestone and a significant motivation to enhance mathematics instruction in the Maldives.

Over 650 students from the Maldives participated in this year's competition, which had entries from 34 countries, marking the highest participation from any nation.

The ministry indicated that the achievement demonstrates the joint efforts of the Ministry of Education, the National Institute of Education (NIE), and the Maldives National University (MNU) in creating an environment for Maldivian students to thrive globally. Specifically, the collaborative MNU–NIE teacher training programs were emphasized as a crucial basis for this success, providing teachers with practical strategies for teaching mathematics via storytelling.

The ministry also recognized the efforts of Dr. Nathapoj Vincent Trakulphadetkrai, the founder of Maths Through Stories, who has significantly contributed to delivering technical training to improve the skills of Maldivian teachers.