Five Thai Students Bag Gold At Physics Olympiad

[webfact]

Five students bag gold at Physics Olympiad

By SUPINDA NA MAHACHAI

THE NATION ON SUNDAY

Five Thai high-school students have won gold medals at the 41st International Physics Olympiad (IPHO) held in Croatia's Zagreb City over the past nine days, a senior official said yesterday.

BANGKOK: -- Deputy Education Minister Chaiyos Chirametakorn will preside over a reception to congratulate the young champions upon their arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport tomorrow afternoon.

Pornpan Vitayangkorn, deputy director of the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST), said yesterday that the team - two Trium Udon Suksa School students, Nakarin Lohitsiri and Weerapat Tippayakhanchit, and three Mahidol Wittayanusorn School students, Chayakorn Pongsiri, Sirapat Jong-aramrungreung and Issarapong Eksinchon - were accompanied by a five-strong teacher team led by Professor Suwan Khusamran from King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Lat Krabang.

Thailand won gold medals at the 2002 IPHO but this was the first time that a five-strong Thai team won five gold medals.

At the IPHO held in Mexico in 2009, the Thai team managed to win one gold and four silver medals.

Issarapong, who also won a silver medal in Mexico, said he was |overjoyed to get a gold medal this year.

He said that the IPHO gave him a strong purpose to learn and were motivating students to pay attention to science.

He said that to succeed in study, one needed to find the subject one liked most, or was best in, and then to work on it with determination to achieve one's goals.

Issarapong said teachers were also important to students' learning. He said some teachers might not have graduated directly from the fields they were teaching and couldn't clearly explain lessons to students. He said many students resorted to rote learning and felt bored.

He added quickly that he was lucky to have had good science teachers. He said he wanted to be a researcher using his knowledge to serve the country in the future.

Weerapat, another happy gold medallist who also won a silver medal in Mexico, said that he wanted to be a physics teacher in a university and also do research in physics.

Chayakorn said he prepared for the contest by practising physics questions and fully paying attention in the class. He said he loved learning about physics and especially doing experiments.

Sirapat said he was inspired to join the academic Olympiad project by the earlier winners' achievements.

Camp activities associated with the project made him feel strong academically and mentally. He said he liked learning physics because it was fun and allowed him to think and analyse without rote learning. Physics let him look at things with a scientific viewpoint and understand better about the rules of nature.

The subject also helped creating many new technologies and innovations.

Nakarin said that science teachers should help kids understand the core ideas of the subject via experiments or observing natural phenomenon. He said he wanted to be a university professor who also did physics research.

-- The Nation 2010-07-25

[Robby nz]

It was Maths a couple of weeks ago and Biology last week now Physics where Thai students have brought home gold from international competitions.

Some Thai schools must be doing the right thing in spite of all the critics of the education system that I read on this forum and other places.

Congratulations kids, keep up the good work you are the future of this country and the world.

[chainarong]

One would wounders what schools they are, Thai government or private, however congratulations on the good showing, well done.

[TheWalkingMan]

Well done to the students!

TheWalkingMan

[geriatrickid]

The students deserve alot of praise. They worked hard. Their coaches did a good job in preparing the team as well. I had a look at some of the questions. The questions are tough. http://www.jyu.fi/ipho/ Go see for yourself.

This story might be a bit of an eye opener for some people. In another section there is an article on the young boys found in the Pattaya gogo club. IMO, the kids work there because they are poor and denied an opportunity to advance in life. Well, here we have a great example of what happens when young boys and girls are given a chance to learn. They succeed. Two Thailands. I suspect the Thailand in this thread might scare off a few foreign residents. and tourists, but it's the type of Thailand I wish Thailand could be 24/6. (I need that 1 day of debauchery to fall of my horse of moral superiority and wallow in a few pints with my buddies, if you please.)

[jayjay0]

Well done kids

Great job

This is a example of what is going on in Thailand and it say's something about the kids.

One of them indicated that the teaching could have been better yet he took it on his self to learn. A spirit that all to often Farongs are willing to overlook because they had to pay more for something than a Thai.,

Keep up the good work and others will be inspired to follow in your foot steps when you have gone on to teaching and other projects of your own.

I can't say enough about these kids. I give my wife a good allowance but when it comes to grand children learning the budget goes out the window. There are our future.

[sirchai]

One would wounders what schools they are, Thai government or private, however congratulations on the good showing, well done.

:jap:Congratulations!

[Ponpan]

CONGRATULATIONS, Winners. Be the role models for ALL Thailand students. Glad to know some of you want to become researchers and work for the progress of Thailand. Wonderful. Thailand will be proud of you. This is just the beginning...!! Let the gold flow for Physics in Thailand!! Let the celebrations begin at Suvarnabhumi Airport!!!

From: Ex Physics Teacher from Singapore.

[Changian]

The questions are tough. http://www.jyu.fi/ipho/ Go see for yourself.

Too right. Not one of them is multiple choice. No wonder physics isn't popular in Thailand.

[stepenwolf1958]

Congratu;ations. But this is so rare to find in Thailand. General picture still remains the same.

Recently reports from schools in Thailad are saying that some 8% of Thai kids age 15 (M-3) can't write or read Thai language.

I think that should be red alert for all in Thailand.

The question is how they could pass M1 and M2 at all?

[stepenwolf1958]

Well done kids

Great job

This is a example of what is going on in Thailand and it say's something about the kids.

One of them indicated that the teaching could have been better yet he took it on his self to learn. A spirit that all to often Farongs are willing to overlook because they had to pay more for something than a Thai.,

Keep up the good work and others will be inspired to follow in your foot steps when you have gone on to teaching and other projects of your own.

I can't say enough about these kids. I give my wife a good allowance but when it comes to grand children learning the budget goes out the window. There are our future.

I disagree they are future of Thailand at all. Better conditions for work, laboratories for researchings are better in western world and it's just the matter of time when they will go or be taken to some western country. I doubt even one of them will stay in Thailand. Thailand don't have potential they can developing their talents. Notorious truth and sad for all developing countries such Thailand is.

[stepenwolf1958]

Exactly like this young man says:

"Issarapong said teachers were also important to students' learning. He said some teachers might not have graduated directly from the fields they were teaching and couldn't clearly explain lessons to students. He said many students resorted to rote learning and felt bored.

He added quickly that he was lucky to have had good science teachers. How many students are lucky to have good and competent teachers in Thailand. Just 20% of them.

This is the point and main problem in Thai education. And it's not some techers as he said. It is over 80% of teachers. So many of them could not make the test from their subject and show that they are (over 80% of them) incompetent to teach at all.

[jomtienbob]

That is fantastic, not only for the obvious but also because the test is in English, so the comprehension issues there are noteworthy also.

[ding]

Ah Zagreb, what a beautiful place. Those kids deserve it after their hard work. Congrats to all.

[Wozzit]

They deserve all the praise they are getting.

[Spee]

This story might be a bit of an eye opener for some people. In another section there is an article on the young boys found in the Pattaya gogo club. IMO, the kids work there because they are poor and denied an opportunity to advance in life.

Yes, I must agree. Every Thai citizen should have the right to equal opportunity (although that shouldn't be perverted into a right to equal outcome, as has happened elsewhere in the world).

Congrats to those students. It takes not only intelligence and opportunity, but also hard work and dedication.

[IMA_FARANG]

Good on them.

The fact is that good motivated students can and will excel...even in spite of the educational system...simply because they want to and are motivated to work and learn to THINK. (A brain is a sad thing to waste,) The only purpose a teacher really has is to make sure that happens... if only in some of the students. My mother, a very good teacher, used to say that out of each 100 students...if you got one or two really good ones...you had done what you were supposed to do.

I wanted to be a teacher in school...but life had different ideas on what I was to become.

[ronz28]

Good job Thai students. You proved you are the best in the world. Keep it up!

[Piengrudee]

I don't want to sound discouraging, but a dozen country have the same headlines that their student achieve GOLD in those Olympic. . . I have been to a swimming meets once. A gold, silver & bronze is given to every 5 swimmers on average. I told myself, what's the point.

[Spee]

A gold, silver & bronze is given to every 5 swimmers on average. I told myself, what's the point.

Given?

Last time I checked, medals are earned and won.

Without competition, drive, dedication, motivation and a desire to achieve and produce, where would we be?

That's the point.

[Piengrudee]

<br />

<br />A gold, silver & bronze is given to every 5 swimmers on average. I told myself, what's the point.<br />

<br />Given?<br /><br />Last time I checked, medals are earned and won.<br /><br />Without competition, drive, dedication, motivation and a desire to achieve and produce, where would we be?<br /><br />That's the point.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

I agree that the boys & girls work hard. But it dilute the purpose if too any medal are given out. Have you drank any beer without multiple gold medals in their citation?

[Piengrudee]

This is not to discredit the ability of Thai students who came home with medals on academic olympaid. However, when I read foreign news, almost every country have similar headlines praising how well their country’s student managed to scoop up similar medals in the same academic olympaid. . . So I did a quick google and found the host webpage of the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). . . http://www.icho2009.co.uk/ And all the results are published here: http://www.icho2009.co.uk/files/pdf/final_results_ICHO_2009.pdf Analysis: Out of 250 student who attended the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO): 28 gets GOLD or 11%, 54 gets SILVER or 22%, 82 gets BRONZE or 33%, 9 gets Honourable Mention or 4%. . Only 77 gets nothing (or 31%). . So, if you send 10 students to International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), on average, you will get 6.6 medals home. Something that we have to be so proud of? Note than you can score less than 50% (which in many test, it is a fail), and still gets a bronze medals.

[way2muchcoffee]

This is not to discredit the ability of Thai students who came home with medals on academic olympaid. However, when I read foreign news, almost every country have similar headlines praising how well their country’s student managed to scoop up similar medals in the same academic olympaid. . . So I did a quick google and found the host webpage of the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). . . http://www.icho2009.co.uk/ And all the results are published here: http://www.icho2009.co.uk/files/pdf/final_results_ICHO_2009.pdf Analysis: Out of 250 student who attended the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO): 28 gets GOLD or 11%, 54 gets SILVER or 22%, 82 gets BRONZE or 33%, 9 gets Honourable Mention or 4%. . Only 77 gets nothing (or 31%). . So, if you send 10 students to International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), on average, you will get 6.6 medals home. Something that we have to be so proud of? Note than you can score less than 50% (which in many test, it is a fail), and still gets a bronze medals.

So Thaiand sent 5 students. They picked up 5 Gold Medals. 34 Gold Medals were awarded. Thailand received the highest number of gold medals (along with China and Taiwan). Here are the stats.

Thailand - 5

China - 5

Taiwan - 5

Indonesia - 4

Germany - 3

Hungary - 3

United States - 1

United Kingdom - 1

India - 1

Russia - 1

Czech Rep. - 1

Singapore - 1

Vietnam - 1

Korea - 1

Belarus - 1

Hong Kong - 1

Following are 51 competing countries who did not win any gold medals:

Iceland, Aremenia, Nepal, Nigeria, Kyrgistan, Switzerland, Denmark, Argentina, Latvia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Pakistan, Lithuania, Norway, Georgia, Ireland, Portugal, Colombia, Brazil, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Cambodia, Bosnia-Herzegovna, Malaysia, Serbia, Finland, Estonia, Turkey, Israel, Poland, Austria, Italy, Canada, Ukraine, Azerbijan, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, France, Kazhakstan, Iran, Japan, Moldova, Slovenia, Croatia, Macao, Cuba, Salvador, and Australia.

Seems like Thailand did pretty well.

Edited July 28, 2010 by way2muchcoffee

[prometheus]

This is not to discredit the ability of Thai students who came home with medals on academic olympaid. However, when I read foreign news, almost every country have similar headlines praising how well their country's student managed to scoop up similar medals in the same academic olympaid. . . So I did a quick google and found the host webpage of the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). . . http://www.icho2009.co.uk/ And all the results are published here: http://www.icho2009....s_ICHO_2009.pdf Analysis: Out of 250 student who attended the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO): 28 gets GOLD or 11%, 54 gets SILVER or 22%, 82 gets BRONZE or 33%, 9 gets Honourable Mention or 4%. . Only 77 gets nothing (or 31%). . So, if you send 10 students to International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), on average, you will get 6.6 medals home. Something that we have to be so proud of? Note than you can score less than 50% (which in many test, it is a fail), and still gets a bronze medals.

You have no clue about the abilities of those people who could get gold medals in those Olympiads. To be able to join the national team, they must compete at regional and national level and be among the best science students in the country.

Gold medal in the olympiad mathematics or physics are extremely difficult to attain and takes year of study. Those 5 people who hold the gold medals, the ticket to the very best universities in the world are open up for them, Harvard, Stanford, M.I.T, Princeton, would consider those guys among the top international applicants. They would not find a problem in getting scholarships and things like that, as I said, they are proven world class talent, you might not agree but the ones who matter to them do.

[tomyummer]

Well done kids

Great job

This is a example of what is going on in Thailand and it say's something about the kids.

One of them indicated that the teaching could have been better yet he took it on his self to learn. A spirit that all to often Farongs are willing to overlook because they had to pay more for something than a Thai.,

Keep up the good work and others will be inspired to follow in your foot steps when you have gone on to teaching and other projects of your own.

I can't say enough about these kids. I give my wife a good allowance but when it comes to grand children learning the budget goes out the window. There are our future.

I disagree they are future of Thailand at all. Better conditions for work, laboratories for researchings are better in western world and it's just the matter of time when they will go or be taken to some western country. I doubt even one of them will stay in Thailand. Thailand don't have potential they can developing their talents. Notorious truth and sad for all developing countries such Thailand is.

Sad. But true. Singapore, here we come!

[tomyummer]

A gold, silver & bronze is given to every 5 swimmers on average. I told myself, what's the point.

Given?

Last time I checked, medals are earned and won.

Without competition, drive, dedication, motivation and a desire to achieve and produce, where would we be?

That's the point.

What she meant to say was: "A gold, silver & bronze is given to every 5 swimmers on average. I told myself, what's the point. I'll just become a Thai politician and win gold every darn time!"

[prometheus]

Well done kids

Great job

This is a example of what is going on in Thailand and it say's something about the kids.

One of them indicated that the teaching could have been better yet he took it on his self to learn. A spirit that all to often Farongs are willing to overlook because they had to pay more for something than a Thai.,

Keep up the good work and others will be inspired to follow in your foot steps when you have gone on to teaching and other projects of your own.

I can't say enough about these kids. I give my wife a good allowance but when it comes to grand children learning the budget goes out the window. There are our future.

I disagree they are future of Thailand at all. Better conditions for work, laboratories for researchings are better in western world and it's just the matter of time when they will go or be taken to some western country. I doubt even one of them will stay in Thailand. Thailand don't have potential they can developing their talents. Notorious truth and sad for all developing countries such Thailand is.

Sad. But true. Singapore, here we come!

That is true in foreseeable future, specifically to United States if they want to be the best or in about a decade , to China. Science research is difficult, expensive and require hugh support of the government and industrial infrastructure. Even Europe can just about to compete with United States when taking into account of the very best of the best of their instituitions. However, what we are seeing now is a lot more development in science in Asia in general, there is a lot more regional networks and corperations forming up with leading nations such as China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. In the long run, it will improve the overall scientific infrastructure of the region and Thailand will get a fringe benefit.