India Goes for Gold Afterschool!

Indian students won four gold and one silver medal at the 39th International Physics Olympiad (IPO) that concluded on Monday in Hanoi, Vietnam. This is India's best performance ever in the physics olympiad.

The Indian participants were mentored at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), the nodal centre for India's science olympiad programme. The main activities of the HBCSE are: (a) Research and Development, (b) Teacher Orientation and Science Popularisation, and (c) Olympiads and other Students' Nurture Programmes. The HBCSE is a valuable resource for afterschool programmes.

The HBCSE website notes "One of the most painful lacunae in our school system is the absence of quality printed materials for teachers and students to supplement the textbooks. The lack of such resources probably contributes to the authoritarian and bookish approach to learning that is often seen in the classroom". HBCSE publishes quality co-curricular materials including teachers handbooks, student booklets on remedial algebra, a set of 3 books on a problem-solving approach to physics, etc.

Train for the Olympiad Afterschool!

What gives gifted Indian students the motivation to keep going? One of the answers is the olympiads - competitive academic events that test the students ability to grasp and apply concepts - way beyond the exercises in the textbooks. Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education is the nodal centre for Olympiad programmes in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Astronomy. The programmes aim at promoting excellence in science and mathematics among pre-university students. The exams are held in several stages - starting from the local to international levels. Students short-listed in the initial rounds are provided specialized coaching to help them face the international exam. Students of the XI and XII standards are eligible to participate - while some (astronomy) also have a Junior level where students from VIII standard upwards can join.