Vocational school teacher provides assistance to student, violating rule

The organizing committee of Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition released a statement on Sunday regarding the 2024 competition. In addition to announcing that a total of 86 participants receiving awards, the statement said in this competition, a teacher surnamed Wang from Lianshui Secondary Vocational School in Jiangsu province provided assistance to a student instructed by him during the preliminary round, which violated the "no discussion" rule set for the preliminary. The committee also expressed apologies for the incident.

The statement said that Wang and the student he instructed entered finals, sparking public attention. According the results of the final evaluation, neither of them won an award, the statement said.

The news that a Chinese vocational school student entered the finals of Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition while most finalists are from prestigious institutions such as Peking University, Cambridge or MIT captured wide public attention in June 2024.

The statement said that investigation found that Wang had provided assistance to the student he instructed during the preliminary round, thereby violating the competition's "no discussion" rule.

The incident also exposed issues such as competition system is not well-developed and management not rigorous enough. "In response, we sincerely apologize for this," the statement said.

On the same day, Lianshui Secondary Vocational School in Jiangsu province, where Wang worked, also issued a statement on its official account addressing the incident, which said it is learned that in the 2024 Alibaba Global Mathematics Competition preliminary round, teacher Wang from their school provided assistance to the student he instructed, violating the competition's "no discussion" rule.

Following a review, the school gave Wang a warning and revoked his eligibility for this year's awards and honors. The school indicated that it will further strengthen teacher ethics, school spirit, and academic atmosphere guiding teachers and students to establish correct values and views on success. At the same time, the school appeals to the public to give more tolerance and care for minors.