RI students prepare for academic Olympics

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro hailed yesterday the 22 students slated to compete in the Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics Olympics in Canada and Argentina.

Wardiman told a press conference that this would help raise Indonesia's profile abroad, and that he would do all he could to help the boys improve their skills.

He said that Indonesia had participated 11 times in the Math Olympics, five times in the Physics Olympics and three times in Computer Olympics. But Indonesia had not competed in a Chemistry Olympics.

He said that this year there should be a search for students from the first year of senior high school to participate in future student Olympics until their last year of high school.

University of Indonesia professor of chemistry Nur Franisal said that eight students would compete in the 28th International Physics Olympics in Sudbury, Canada, six students in the 38th International Math Olympics in Mar del Plata, Argentina, and four students in the 29th International Chemistry Olympiad in Montreal, Canada.

The Physics Olympics will be held from July 13 to July 21, the Chemistry Olympics from July 13 to July 22 and the Math Olympics from July 18 to July 31.

Wardiman said that young people deserved encouragement from their parents, teachers, schools and communities for their love and interest in math, chemistry, and physics despite the shortcomings of the current education system.

"Girls should also be encouraged to develop their abilities in math and science, not to be told by society that their positions are relegated to domestic tasks like cooking and sewing," he told the participants; all of them boys. (01)