Yesol Jeong, one of the top three academic learners in Grade 12 at Parel Vallei High School, recently participated in the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) competition for young scientists.
She was part of a team of only four learners from each country given the opportunity to participate in the olympiad, which is hosted in July every year.
The host country of this year’s IBO was Portugal and the examinations were related to the journey of Fernão de Magalhães, a Portuguese explorer who organised the Spanish expedition to the East Indies from 1519 to 1522.
Said Yesol of her experience as an IBO 2021 participant: “It was an honour to participate in the IBO 2021 as part of the South African team.
“My teammates were in different provinces so I couldn’t meet them, but we were able to connect through WhatsApp and Google Meet. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t physically go to Portugal for the event, but I think the online event was wonderful nevertheless. We were able to interact with participants from other countries through Zoom calls, where we played games together and made unforgettable memories.
“The exams were challenging, but eye-opening at the same time and enabled me to explore concepts beyond the school curriculum. It was definitely a memorable experience where I made new friends and gained a deeper insight into the field of life sciences.”
To be selected for the team, learners competed in the National Life Sciences Olympiad and then took a selection test.
Once selected, candidates underwent training and lectures on the IBO curriculum, after which the team usually travels to the host country to participate in the IBO. However, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s event was held online from their schools or homes.
The IBO comprises theoretical and practical examinations, where learners need to perform various scientific experiments and investigations, but this year it was converted to a theoretical-practical exam where learners had to answer questions from photos and videos of experiments.
The theoretical-practical exams took place on Monday 19 July and the theory exam on Wednesday 21 July, with questions based on various biological concepts from different fields. After the exams, the results are scored individually and top-achieving learners are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals, or merit awards.
PV thanked Elsabe Kruger, head of life sciences at the school, and the Parel Vallei Advanced Educational Trust, which supported Yesol in this new and exciting global biology journey.
