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India has been performing well at this International science competition
Like the Senior International Science Olympiad, a science Olympiad is also organised for juniors. While it maybe termed as junior, however, the entrance and training is as rigorous if not less. India has been performing well and will only improve with further popularity of the competition.
An interesting contest is being held every year since the past 12 years for students of science by the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO). The contest is held in December every year for students who are under 15 years of age on January 1 of the year in which the contest is being held and who are studying in Class X or below.
Unlike its more famous senior version of the Olympiad, the IJST is not held in separate subjects such as maths, physics, chemistry, computer science and so on but in science as an overall subject which covers physics, chemistry and biology.
“Indian Association of Physics Teachers and others involved in the Olympiads conduct awareness programmes in various places in the run up to the competition. Teacher training programmes are also conducted, in urban as well as rural areas, aiming to add an extra dimension to teaching and to increase awareness about events such as the IJSO. Awareness about it can certainly be improved, in India as well as worldwide. Currently, about 40 – 50 countries participate; this can certainly be increased with better awareness,” says Prof. Surabhi Potnis from St Xaviers College, Mumbai, who was one of the faculty team leaders that accompanied the Indian team last year to the contest.
It is a matter of pride that the Indian teams have been performing consistently well in this international competition which has participation from developed as well as developing countries. Of the 6 Indian teams that participated in the competition held at Daegu, South Korea, last year, five secured a gold medal and one got silver. In fact, in the previous year India was the “country winner,” a title given to the country which secures the maximum number of medals.
It isn’t easy to represent India at this prestigious competition as a rigorous selection and training process is followed for a whole year before the IJSO. In November, more than a year before the actual contest, an all-India exam is held for interested students. Out of this, about 300 students are shortlisted for a Indian Junior Science Olympiad, which is held in January. Of these, about 35-40 students are selected for a 3-week orientation-cum-selection camp that is held at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, in Mumbai.
Based on their performance at the camp, the final 6 students are selected for the international contest which is held in December. To ensure a high level of preparedness, the final 6 are further trained in a pre-departure camp in November.
While representing India is a big achievement in itself for these bright young students, travelling to a new country is also a rewarding experience as they are exposed to new
experience and learnings. In a lighter vein, Prof. Potnis narrates one such incident: “The team that went to Daegu, South Korea consisted of five boys and one girl, all vegetarians. In Daegu, they had a major problem of food, as there were many non-vegetarian items, but very few vegetarian ones on the menu. Initially, they subsisted on milkshakes and fries, but within two days the students took the initiative of meeting the chef and requesting him to make simple vegetarian items for them, which he did!”
Watch out for the announcement of the next version of the IJSO, who knows your child may be a part of the prestigious team.
Image Courtesy: The Hindu