Top performers brightened by science

20 July 2015 - 02:02 By Poppy Louw

Four top-performing National Science Olympiad pupils are jetting off to the UK tomorrow to attend the London International Youth Science Forum. The forum is a two-week event with lectures and demonstrations from leading scientists, as well as visits to research centres, scientific institutions and organisations, including world-class laboratories and universities.Star College's Fatimah Hafajee, 17, said apart from looking forward to the museum and university visits, she was eager to learn more about science beyond the borders of South Africa.The Grade 12 pupil from Durban earned the leading girl pupil spot in physical science with a mark of 67% in the national Olympiad examination."There is always more to learn in science and one can never say they know everything about it."I hope that attending the forum will help broaden my knowledge of science," said Hafajee.The forum, held at Imperial College London, attracts over 400 of the world's leading young scientists aged between 17 and 21 from more than 60 countries around the world.Joining Hafajee from South Africa between July 22 and August 5 will be:Top national pupil in physical science Jeremy Wilkinson, from Bishops College in Cape Town, who scored 77% in the Olympiad;Ulrich Wagner from Crawford College in Pretoria; who scored 65% for the Life Science paper; and,Erasmus Monareng High School pupil Lesibana Rammutla, from Vosloorus, who topped the scores of pupils from previously disadvantaged schools in Physical Science with a score of 65%.Wilkinson said he was excited at seeing what he regards as "arguably the greatest scientific nation in history" had to offer, and hopes to learn more about the history of science in the UK...

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