Nine-year-olds Paula and Peter Imafidon are due to make history when they start attending secondary school, two years early.
“You can never rule anything out with them, the competition between the two of them makes them excel in anything they do.” – Chris Imafidon, Peter and Paula’s father
Video after the jump…
credit: BBC News, Parent Dish UK
This is not the first educational record the child prodigies have broken, they passed A/AS-level mathematics papers when they were seven, and became the youngest to pass University of Cambridge’s Advanced Mathematics paper aged just eight.
The twins’ father, Chris Imafidon, is understandably proud saying, “You can never rule anything out with them, the competition between the two of them makes them excel in anything they do.”
The Imafidon family are used to academic success. The twins eldest sister, Anne-Marie, won a scholarship to study at a US university aged just 13.
Another sister, Christina, became the youngest undergraduate student at a UK university when she was 11, and the twins tutor, sister Samantha, passed two high school equivalent maths exams aged 6.
Parents Chris and Ann emigrated from Nigeria 30 years ago. The couple attribute their children’s success to the Excellence in Education program for disadvantaged inner-city youth.
Paula and Peter, from Waltham, East London, are waiting to discover which school they will be attending, but their parents aren’t worried about them being so much younger than their classmates.
“Because they are twins they have each other so they are always able to help each other and support each other,” said Mr Imafidon modestly adding “We’re delighted with the progress they have made.”
While they’ll be busy studying for the time being, the twins have made plans for the future. Paula would like to eventually be a maths teacher, whilst Peter is less ambitious, he just wants to become Prime Minister.
Despite the family’s achievements, the Imafidons insist that there’s nothing exceptional about their children.
“Every child is a genius,” says Mr Imafidon. “Once you identify the talent of a child and put them in the environment that will nurture that talent, then the sky is the limit.”
