EDITORIAL: Science Olympiads

After hosting the International Biology Olympiad for senior high school students last year, Japan this summer hosted another International Science Olympiads event--the International Chemistry Olympiad in Tokyo.

Public interest was high among Japanese students and in academic circles. And two Japanese students won gold medals for the second consecutive year.

We hope this will inspire more Japanese teenagers to challenge their peers around the world in the coming years. And we ask educational authorities to provide solid support to such motivated students.

Science knows no national boundary. In building a better future for the nation, it is vital that scientifically gifted young people get to know the world and develop their talents.

The International Science Olympiads consist of competitions in various branches of science, and the events are hosted by different countries every year. National teams of four to six teenagers compete to solve theoretical problems and tackle lab experiments.

About 270 students from 68 countries and regions competed in this year's International Chemistry Olympiad when the nation was broiled in sweltering summer heat. Including the International Mathematical Olympiad in 2003, Japan has hosted three of the competition events.

When they weren't grappling with problem-solving and lab work, the young participants were introduced to traditional Japanese culture, such as calligraphy and how to wear kimono. They also took a trip to the historic Nikko Toshogu shrine in Tochigi Prefecture.

Of 23 Japanese teens who competed this summer in the five Olympiads--physics, mathematics, biology, informatics and chemistry--seven won gold medals. Gold medals are awarded to students in the top 10 percentile in each category.

One Japanese student won a gold in chemistry for the second straight year. Another student achieved the same feat in mathematics.

China has lately become an invincible powerhouse with almost all of its participating students coming home with gold medals. Russia, the United States and South Korea follow in the rankings, with Thailand and Taiwan now growing stronger.

As science is about the pursuit of truth, idle medal-counting is meaningless.

However, the international competitions reveal defects in science education in Japan, most noticeably the tendency to cram students with fragmented knowledge. Japanese "Olympians" need four months of intensive training before they can even start tackling the problems they have to solve.

This points to the necessity of reviewing science education in general. Education authorities should aim for a more systematic approach to teaching, and perhaps place a greater emphasis on lab work. To enable gifted or motivated students to reach higher goals, the basic level of science education needs to be raised.

Collaboration between high schools and various academic institutions, such as universities and academic societies, is a must, as are community drives to encourage interest in science. It would be a good idea to enlist retired engineers from the private sector in these endeavors.

Teens who participate in the International Science Olympiads come home with valuable experiences. Aside from having fun competing in their favorite subjects, they try to communicate with their overseas peers in English and become aware of the high level of science education in the rest of the world.

We certainly believe that young Japanese today, many of whom tend to be introverted, can benefit greatly from such experiences.

The International Earth Science Olympiad began in 2007, and Japan has been a participant since 2008. The 2012 Olympiad is scheduled to be held in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture.

With the recent surge of popular interest in the asteroid probe Hayabusa, we hope the Tsukuba event will help encourage greater interest in earth science.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 7