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Science Olympiad Foundation

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For the primary/secondary school competition in the United States, see Science Olympiad.

Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF)
Formation1996
TypeNonprofit organization
Official language
English
Secretary General
Mahabir Singh (Director)
AffiliationsCBSE, British Council, Institute of Company Secretaries of India, Techfest, TCS Star Sports (formerly)
Websitesofworld.org

The Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF) is an educational foundation and a nonprofit organisation, established in 1999, based in New Delhi, India which promotes science, mathematics, general knowledge, introductory computer education and English language skills among school children in India and many other countries through various Olympiads. It helps students in their studies by providing a higher level of education through their books, sample papers and olympiads.The 4 olympiads including NSO,IMO,IGKO and IEO were held online for 2020-21 whereas ICO and NCO were cancelled.[1]

Olympiads

SOF organizes six Olympiads each year, namely IEO, NSO, NCO, ICO, IGKO and IMO. During the 2016–2018 academic year, 45000 schools from more than 1400 cities registered, and millions of students appeared for the six Olympiad exam. Olympiads were conducted across 30 countries.

Current

About 5 lakh (500,000) students take part in each of the following olympiads:

  • International General Knowledge Olympiad (IGKO) is a single level exam. Students from classes I-X may participate in the examination. This olympiad was introduced in the 2017–2018 academic session.
  • International English Olympiad (IEO) used to be a single level exam each year, but since 2017–2018 it is conducted on two levels. Students from class I-XII can participate in this olympiad. It is conducted in partnership with the British Council.
  • National Science Olympiad (NSO) is conducted on two levels each year. It was the first olympiad conducted by SOF. It has been conducted since 1996. Students from class I-XII may participate in the examination. It is conducted in partnership with Techfest.
  • International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) is conducted on two levels each year. Students from class I-XII may participate in the examination.
  • International Commerce Olympiad (ICO) is a single level exam. Students from classes XI and XII may participate in the examination. It is conducted in partnership with ICSI.[2]
  • National Cyber Olympiad (NCO) is a single level exam. It was the second olympiad conducted by SOF. It has been conducted since 2000. Students from class I-XII may participate in the examination. It is conducted in partnership with TCS iON, a branch of TCS.

Former

  • National Cyber Olympiad Level-2 (NCO) was formerly a two-level exam, but it has been abandoned since 2017–18.
  • International Sports Knowledge Olympiad (ISKO) was conducted only once, during the 2016–2017 session. It was a single level exam conducted in partnership with Star Sports in which students of classes I-X could participate.

Eligibility and pattern

Students from class I to XII can participate. There is a different exam paper for each class. The question paper consists of 35 multiple choice questions of 40 marks for classes I to IV, and 50 multiple choice questions for classes V to XII of 60 marks, to be answered in one hour. Five questions that are part of the 'Achievers' section' carry three marks (and for primary classes excluding 5th, it has only two marks) each whereas the remaining questions carry one mark each. Students are required to mark their answers on an OMR sheet. Results are announced for every student and it includes the student's international rank, regional rank (since 2020-21),[3] zonal rank and school rank. SOF also generates a performance report for all participating schools, as well as awards teachers and principals whose pupils excelled in the exam.[4]

Controversies

Although being a non-profit organisation it works on profit making model and charges heavily for its books and study materials. Silver Zone Foundation, a similar 14-year-old Olympiad company, rakes in 50% of its revenues from book sales and the rest from exam registration fees (at Rs 120 per student). Close to a million kids from 5,000 schools have been sitting their Olympiads every year, claims CEO Kamal Kishore..[5]

Questions are deliberately asked from their own book which are not according to state prescribed board syllabus which compels students to buy their expensive books.

The foundation has been criticized by Anwesh Mazumdar, national coordinator, Science Olympiads from the academics at Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education saying," It is a misrepresentation to call a competition an Olympiad if it has no culmination on international stage. He argues that the original science Olympiads — the first was in Maths held in Romania in 1959 — pursue nobler goals of intellectual inquiry. “These companies should not call it an ‘Olympiad’; call it a competition if necessary. For example, the International Mathematical Olympiad is the real deal, but Science Olympiad Foundation, a private organisation, has an exam called the International Mathematics Olympiad. Parents are misled and even the international organisers are concerned,” says Mazumdar, adding that they have contemplated patenting the name.[6]

There have been demands for government intervention to regulate the exams. Ashok Pandey, director at Ahlcon International School in Delhi, admits that private Olympiads need to be better regulated. “I had initially decided not to host them, but gave in when parents insisted,” says Pandey. Clearly, until the originals intervene, lookalikes will continue to run to run circles around the Olympiads.[7]

References

  1. ^ "Science Olympiad Foundation to hold exams online this year, here's how you can register". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Cusat, ICSI sign deal for academic collaboration". The Hindu. Special Correspondent. 16 March 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 29 March 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  3. ^ "Zone/State Categorization".
  4. ^ "Science Olympiad Foundation".
  5. ^ Fern, Joeanna Rebello; Dec 18, es | TNN |; 2016; Ist, 10:02. "Olympiads: The new status symbol for parents - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 13 April 2021. {{cite web}}: |last3= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Fern, Joeanna Rebello; Dec 18, es | TNN |; 2016; Ist, 10:02. "Olympiads: The new status symbol for parents - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 April 2021. {{cite web}}: |last3= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Fern, Joeanna Rebello; Dec 18, es | TNN |; 2016; Ist, 10:02. "Olympiads: The new status symbol for parents - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 April 2021. {{cite web}}: |last3= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

External links

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