A team of six Hong Kong secondary students achieved excellent results in the International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO) 2016, being awarded third place in the Experimental Competition and winning a total of one gold and five silver individual prizes.
 
     The IJSO 2016 was held in Bali, Indonesia from December 2 to 10, with 282 scientifically gifted secondary students from 47 countries and regions as contestants. A total of 93 teams participated in the Experimental Competition. All six Hong Kong Team members are Secondary Four students. Chau Chun-wang (St Margaret's Co-educational English Secondary and Primary School) won one gold and one bronze medal in the Individual and Experimental Competitions. Wong Yuet-to (Diocesan Girls' School) won one silver and one bronze medal in the Individual and Experimental Competitions. Prudence Mok, (La Salle College) won one silver and one bronze medal in the Individual and Experimental Competitions. James Tong (Diocesan Boys' School), Wong Chi-fung (La Salle College) and Chan Chak-fu (La Salle College) won silver medals in the Individual Competition.
 
     The IJSO, a science competition for 15-year-old students, aims at promoting science education, reinforcing collaboration among science talents and providing a platform for nurturing scientifically gifted students around the world.
 
     The IJSO syllabus is interdisciplinary, covering biology, chemistry and physics at senior secondary level. The competition comprises one multiple-choice test, one theoretical examination and one experimental examination. The experimental examination consists of unfamiliar problems that require analytical and problem-solving skills.
    
     Apart from taking part in the competition and meeting other scientifically gifted students, the participants are also provided with an invaluable opportunity to visit the organising country's historical centres and meet local students. Such experiences broaden their horizons and encourage them to learn from foreign cultures.
 
     The Hong Kong team members were the best performers at the "International Junior Science Olympiad 2016 - Hong Kong Screening", which was co-organised by the Education Bureau (EDB), the Hong Kong Association for Science and Mathematics Education, the Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence Teachers Association and the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE). The HKAGE commissioned the Chinese University of Hong Kong to provide one-year's training for the students from November 2015 to November 2016. Before the competition, the HKAGE also ran an affective education training programme to further enhance team members’ self-understanding, communication and leadership skills.
 
     The Hong Kong team was led by EDB staff, Senior Student Programme Development Officer of HKAGE, Mr Derek Ng, and a biology teacher of Tin Shui Wai Methodist College, Ms Yip Nga-lam.
   
     Details of the Olympiad are available on the website of the HKAGE (www.hkage.org.hk).

Ends/Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Issued at HKT 16:26

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