Grahamstown Grade 12 pupil Jacqui James will be flown to London at the end of this month for a high-powered two-week science enrichment programme, thanks to her achievement in the 52nd National Science Olympiad.
Grahamstown Grade 12 pupil Jacqui James will be flown to London at the end of this month for a high-powered two-week science enrichment programme, thanks to her achievement in the 52nd National Science Olympiad.
James was named runner-up in the Life Sciences category at the awards ceremony at the Gallagher Convention Centre, in Midrand Gauteng, last week.
The ceremony honours South Africa’s top young science learners in 2016 in Life Sciences and Physical Sciences, as well as categories such as Top Girl Learners, Top Learners from Previously Disadvantaged Schools and Top Learners from Southern African Development Community (SADC) Schools.
The awards were presented by the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA).
Three other Grahamstown pupils performed well in the Olympiad.
Lauren James, also from VGHS and Jacqui’s twin sister, placed 5th nationally and 7th overall with the SADC countries included.
Milagre Lang, another VGHS pupil, also attended the SAASTA science focus week and placed in the top 50 for the Life Sciences Olympiad.
Jarah Fluxman from Graeme College placed 5th in South Africa for physical sciences and 8th overall in the SADC.
Jacqui is one of the top four South African learners to attend the London International Youth Science Forum. The forum is a two-week residential programme which attracts over 500 of the world’s leading young scientists aged 17-21 years from more than 65 participating countries.
Jacqui explains that spending time on her dad's farm had allowed her to make little discoveries every day. “Science fascinates me. I enjoy knowing how things work and why they are the way they are,” she said.
Jacqui emphasises the importance of perseverance when it comes to learning about science in high school.
"There are some parts of science that are less exciting but are needed as a base for one’s understanding. These sections may cause learners to lose interest in science. However I encourage them to persevere as what one learns later on, which depends on this initial knowledge, is fascinating." She encourages learners to push through because the end results are worth it.
The National Science Olympiad is one of the leading projects of SAASTA.
The project offers school pupils in grades 10 to 12 opportunities to compete in science with peers from SADC countries such as Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
The competition comprises an annual examination in science (physical and life sciences). Learners and schools stand a chance to win exciting prizes. The top national performers can win an all-expenses-paid trip to the London International Youth Science Forum and the Australian National Youth Science Forum.
The Olympiad comprises two papers/streams: Physical science (physics and chemistry) and life science. Learners can choose to write either the physical science or life science papers.
The main aims of the competition are to identify talent, to encourage excellence in science education and to stimulate interest in the sciences. It seeks to inspire young people to consider careers in science and technology.
The competition was established in 1964, initially for grade 12 learners, with the objective of promoting Physical Science. Over the years, participation and performance in the National Science Olympiad has increased significantly from about 700 learners in 1967 to more than 30 000 in 2014.
