GEORGE NEWS - On Friday 8 September the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP) will announce the South African Physics Olympiad (SAPhO) results and the names of learners who excelled in the SAPhO exam. Among them will be Matthew Johnstone, a Grade 12 learner at York High. Matthew was the top-scoring learner in this year's Olympiad with a score of 76%. He will receive a Gold Certificate, R2 000 and the SAIP medal, which will be presented to him at the annual SAIP conference dinner at the University of Venda in July 2019.
Over 100 learners from 69 schools were selected from almost 30 000 learners who wrote the SA National Youth Science Olympiad (Sanyso) to write SAPhO 2018.
"South Africa, like every other country in the world, has amongst its youth a latent talent that needs to be identified, nurtured and monitored, to allow them to reach their full potential," says Case Rijsdijk, SAPhO convener. "There are talent scouts for potential sportsmen and women, why not for maths and sciences? After all, our future lies in education and a technologically based economy. Identifying future scientists and engineers is essential, and SAPhO is one pathway to success."
Learners who did well in any other recognised science competition or Olympiad were invited to take part in SAPhO 2018, which was held on Monday 13 August. The results for SAPhO 2018 were most satisfactory with an average mark of 41%. The marks ranged from 76% to 21%. The organisers hope to increase the SAPhO footprint by attracting over 300 learners to participate in the Olympiad next year; it might become an online Olympiad, in which case more learners will get the opportunity to write SAPhO.
Matthew's teacher, Koos van Tonder, said, "Matthew is one of the bright young minds in South Africa. His understanding of scientific problems and analytic mindset is outstanding. Above all, he is willing to help other students and has the ability to explain complex substance in a way that makes it easy."
Matthew himself said, "Physics is my passion. I want to study theoretical physics, not because of a job I can get, but because for as long as I can remember, I've had questions about the universe that only physics can answer."
In second place is last year's Bronze Certificate winner, Graham Mitchell, a Grade 12 learner from Pretoria Boys High (Gauteng), who won this year's Silver Certificate with a score of 75% and will receive R1 500. He will also receive a Special Award Certificate for this remarkable achievement. Adri Wessels, from Curro Durbanville, scooped third place with 71% and will receive a Bronze Certificate and R1 000.
Rijsdijk said that he is grateful to the Department of Science and Technology, DST, and the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (Saasta) for their support and funding.
He also voiced his thanks to the SAIP executive officer, Brian Masara, and the project manager, Ndanganeni Mahani, for all their efforts in making SAPhO a success, and Peter Waker from Interware, for analysis of the results.
SAPhO is hosted by the SAIP with the aim of identifying young Southern Africans with ability in physics, in the hope that these students will continue to study physics at tertiary institutions and universities within South Africa.
'We bring you the latest George, Garden Route news'
