THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL CHEMISTRY QUIZ
Introduction
This Quiz Competition is conducted annually in July by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, which is the professional body for chemists in Australia founded in 1917. Over the years, the competition has been conducted in a number of countries especially in the Asia-Pacific region. These countries include New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Philipines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Western Samoa, Israel, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Switzerland, England, India and Sri Lanka.
The Competition is conducted at six levels corresponding to the Australian School Years of 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12. Years 7 - 10 comprise the Junior Level while Years 11- 12 comprise the Senior Level Corresponding Sri Lankan Grades are 8 - 13. Multiple Choice question papers comprising 30 questions are set for each level for the one hour test that is conducted in a number of countries. Participating Certificates are given to every participating student.
On account of the widely varying cultures and differences in course contents students are exposed to in the various countries, there is no inter-country competition. Student performances, which are assessed on optical mark readers in Australia, are compared within a given country and three types of certificates (Higher Distinction, Distinction and Credit) are awarded to about 40% of the candidates appearing from each country. Certificates of Excellence are awarded to those students answering correctly all the 30 questions. Plaques are also awarded by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute to the very good performers. Questions set for the quiz competition are intended primarily as an educating tool. There is a wealth of general as well as Chemistry based information in every question paper.
Extension of the Competition to Sri Lanka
Mr Charles Fogliani from the Charles Steurt-Mitchell University in Bathurst, NSW Australia has been the Australian National Organiser of this competition for many years. He presented a paper on the competition at the Sixth Asian Chemical Congress of the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies held at Manilla in the Philipines in May 1995, at which I was present. He invited other countries to participate in this competition thereby internationalising the contest as much as possible. I pursued the matter further with Mr Fogliani, who made a special appeal to me and the Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon to conduct the competition in Sri Lanka. Having received the approval of the Institute Council I had further discussions with Mr. Fogliani when I attended the International Conference in Chemical Education in July 1996 at Brisbane, Australia. We finalised the arrangements and mutually agreed to conduct the competition in Sri Lanka for the first time in July 1997.
Since the Australian organisers provide the question papers, multiple choice answer sheets and other necessary material, there are minimal problems if the competition is conducted in the English medium. Unfortunately, Sri Lankan organizers have the additional problems of translating the question papers (to Sinhala and Tamil) and printing the necessary number of question papers with the little resources available within the Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon.
However thanks to the support extended by the Australian organisers, the Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon took up the challenge and conducted the competition for the first time in Sri Lanka in July 1997. We started on a modest scale and decided to restrict the competition initially to one level in about 20 schools. Since the Institute has been conducting an All Island Chemistry Quiz Competition for GCE (Advanced Level) students in Year 13 from 1986, it was therefore agreed to conduct the Australian Quiz Competition amongst Year 11 (Junior Grade) students in the GCE (Ordinary Level) classes so as to widen the extent of student participation in this competition which is intended to increase the interest of students in Chemistry and provides useful chemical education to them.
THE 1997 COMPETITION
We invited the 23 schools who had entered the Quarter Finals stage of our own Sri Lankan Chemistry Quiz during the years 1994-1996. 19 of these schools participated and 1277 students in Year 11 sat the examination that was conducted at 11 centres throughout Sri Lanka under the supervision of Institute members assisted by teachers from participating schools. These centres included Kandy, Kurunegala, Batticaloa, Matara, Horana, Nugegoda, Mt. Lavinia, Bandarawela and Kegalle.
The very best performers answered correctly 24 out of the 30 questions set and received plaques sent from Australia. These students as well as the second best and third best performers (who answered correctly 23 and 22 questions respectively) were also given prizes by the Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon.
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YEAR 1998 COMPETITION
We decided to expand the competition and invited 44 schools who entered the quarter finals of the Sri Lankan Chemistry Quiz from 1994 to 1997 to participate in 1998. 2252 students from 31 schools appeared for the test which was conducted at 15 centres including Galle, Ratnapura, Trincomalee and Kalmunai.
The two very best performers had 27 answers correct while the eight second best performers had 26 answers correct. The 19 third best performers had 25 answers correct. All these 29 students from 11 schools received plaques from the Australian organisers and prizes from the Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon.
The computerized statistical analysis of student performance no doubt serves as a useful source of evaluation for school heads and teachers. A complimentary copy of the Australian Chemistry Resource Book (containing useful articles and papers involving chemistry as well as further analysis of student performance at the previous chemistry quiz) was sent to each participating school.
YEAR 1999 COMPETITION
1999 was declared as the International Year for the Celebration of Chemistry by the American Chemical Society, which encouraged National Chemical Societies to do something extra for the purposes of popularising chemistry and disseminating the fruits of activities involving the Chemical Sciences. The Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon therefore decided to increase the number of students and the number of schools who would participate in the quiz competition in 1999. It was agreed with that objective in view to conduct the competition at two levels corresponding as in the past to Sri Lankan Year 11 and additionally Sri Lankan Year 12; This meant that in 1999, students from the GCE (Ordinary Level) final year as well as both years of the GCE (Advanced Level) classes were able to particpate in either the Australian or the Sri Lankan Quiz Contests. This represented a considerable step forward in involving secondary school students (in their last three years at school) in a very educative and informative chemistry based activity.
The participation statistics are summarised below:-
SL Year 11(Junior)Australian Year 10 / SL Year 12 (Senior)
Australian Year 11 / Total
Number of Schools / 44 / 45 / 47
Number of Student applicants / 4314 / 3811 / 8125
Number of Valid Scripts / 3430 / 2931 / 6361
The number of centres was increased to 29 covering 14 administrative Districts in all Provinces. Centres included Matara, Batticaloa, Kurunegala, Kandy, Bandarawela, Kegalle, Horana, Galle, Narammala, Ratnapura, Kalmunai, Trincomalee, Badulla, Anuradhapura, Gampaha, Hanwella and Vavuniya in addition to Nugegoda, Mt. Lavinia, Moratuwa and Colombo.
Senior Grade Results (1999)
The results were most encouraging. For the first time since we conducted the competition, two students from two schools in the Senior Grade qualified to obtain certificates of excellence for answering correctly all the 30 questions set. This is by any standard a very creditable performance.
7 other students from 4 schools answered 29 questions correctly. These second best performers were also entitled to receive Plaques from Australia in commemoration of their very good performance.
Junior Grade Results (1999)
Two students from two schools answered 29 out of 30 questions correctly. Considering the fact that these students study Chemistry only as part of a single subject called Science, this too is an excellent performance. Three students from three schools answered 28 questions correctly and become the second best performers. All these five students from 4 schools were eligible for Plaques from Australia and Prizes from the Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon.
The Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon also awarded prizes to five other third best performers (from 4 schools) who answered 27 questions correctly.
The Award Ceremony was held on 9.11.99 with Mr Peter Rowe, High Commissioner for Australia in Sri Lanka as Chief Guest.
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YEAR 2000 COMPETITION
The Competition was once again conducted in 2000 for two age groups corresponding to Sri Lanka Year 11 & Year 12 like in 1999.
The participation statistics are summarised below:
SL Year 11 (Junior)Australian Year 10 / SL Year 12 (Senior)
Australian Year 11 / Total
Number of Schools / 70 / 75 / 75
Number of Student applicants / 6535 / 6409 / 12944
Number of Valid Scripts / 4257 / 4550 / 8807
The number of centres was increased to 35 covering 15 administrative districts in all Provinces in Sri Lanka. New Centres in that year included Samanthurai, Panadura & Kiribathgoda.
Senior Grade Results (2000)
S.L. Yaddehige from D S Senanayake College in the Senior Grade qualified to obtain a certificate of excellence for answering correctly all the 30 questions set. He was offered and accepted a Graduateship Millennium Scholarship awarded by the Institute of Chemistry, Ceylon to follow our Graduateship Course commencing 2002. He registered to follow this course with effect from March 2002. Two students from two schools answered all but 2 questions and qualified for the secured best performers prizes. 11 students from 7 schools answered 27 out of 30 questions and qualified for the third best performers' prizes. All these 14 students obtain RACI Plaques.
Junior Grade Results (2000)
Two students from two schools answered 29 out of 30 questions correctly and secured the best performers prizes. Six students from 4 schools answered 28 out of 30 questions correctly and secured the second best performer prizes. All eight of these students obtain RACI plaques. Nine students from 9 schools answered 27 questions correctly and obtained Institute of Chemistry Prizes although they did not qualify for RACI plaques.
The Year 2000 Award Ceremony was held on 25.01.03 during the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations of the Institute. Prof R P Gunawardane (Secretary/Higher Education and Information Technology Development was Chief Guest while Prof P P G L Siriwardena was Guest of Honour.
YEAR 2001 COMPETITION
Participation statistics are summarized below:-
SL Year 11 (Junior)Australian Year 10 / SL Year 12 (Senior)
Australian Year 11 / Total
Number of Schools / 98 / 100 / 103
Number of Applicants / 8056 / 6902 / 14958
Number of Valid Scripts / 5729 / 4802 / 10531
The number of centres was increased to covering 24 Administrative districts in all Provinces. The number of examination centres was 40.
Senior Grade Results (2001)
13 students from 7 schools got all but one (29 out of 30) question correct and qualified for the Best Performer's Prizes at the Senior Level.
Junior Grade Results (2001)
The results clearly indicated that due to the absence of a subject called Chemistry at the GCE (O/Level), student performance at the Junior Level was much poorer than the Senior Level. Only 1 Student got the Best Performers Prize by answering 28 out of 30 questions correct. 6 students from 4 schools got the second Best Performers Prizes by answering 27 out of 30 questions correct. All these seven students got Plaques from the R A C I. The Institute of Chemistry was however pleased to recognize seven other students from 4 schools who had got 26 out of 30 questions correct & therefore got third best performers prizes from the Institute.
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General Observation
The performance of outstation schools was not as good as in past years: of the 27 Prize Winners in 2001 there were 2 from Maliyadeva Boys College, Kurunegala, 1 from Trinity, Kandy, 1 from Richmond, Galle and 1 from Bandarawela MMV. All the other 22 were from Colombo Schools. This was unusual. The Award Ceremony was held on 1.3.02 with Mr B R L Fernando (Chairman/CIC Ltd.) as Chief Guest while Prof P P G L Siriwardene was Guest of Honour.
YEAR 2002 COMPETITION
Participation statistics are summarised below and the number of examination centers were 35.
SL Year 11 (Junior)Australian Year 10 / SL Year 12 (Senior)
Australian Year 11 / Total
Number of Schools / 90 / 92 / 94
Number of Applicants / 5704 / 6101 / 11805
Number of Valid Scripts / 4514 / 4128 / 8642
Senior Grade Results (2002)
For the first time as many as 7 students from 4 schools (including three outstation schools) correctly answered all 30 questions set and were awarded Plaques and High Excellence Certificates from the RACI and Best Performers Prizes from the I. Chem. C.
Our Institute recognized this splendid achievement by encouraging each and every one of them to become Graduate Chemists by the Year 2007. All of them were therefore offered full scholarships by the College of Chemical Sciences to enable them to follow the Institute’s Graduateship Courses and sit the relevant examinations free of charge. Three of them enrolled for the courses which commenced in September 2003. These students are K D Kahandugoda (Rahula College, Matara), S I Dharmarathne (St. Aloysius College, Galle) and Ranjan Wijayarathne (Royal College). There were also 22 second best performers from 11 schools who answered correctly all but one (29 out of 30). They were awarded Higher Distinction Certificates by the RACI and I. Chem. C. Prizes