Philippa Stevenson: Young brains challenge world’s best

Imagine an Olympic event that involved dissecting parts of a cockroach, or counting the cells in a blood smear on a slide.

It's doubtful such tests of skill would attract many spectators. But dissection of insects and plants, and peering down microscopes are just the sort of events four budding biologists will attempt when New Zealand sends its first team to the International Biology Olympiad.

This year's event at Beijing in July is the 16th. Our 16- and 17-year-old, Year 12 and 13 (sixth- and seventh-form) students will be up against 180 bio-brains from 40 nations.

Many of these will have their careers made by taking part in a contest revered in their homelands. They may have already been in training camps or special schools for years, hoping for a triumphant moment on the world stage.

It's a vastly different story here, where our heroes are almost exclusively sportspeople.

A recent television documentary introduced the International Maths Olympiad to many of us, but few would know there are similar events for chemistry, physics, geography and information technology, as well as biology.

Fewer still could name anyone who has competed. It may be a matter of pride and profit in many countries, but it's definitely low-key and shoestring budget stuff here.

So far, New Zealanders have competed only in maths and chemistry Olympiads.

Last week, some of the preparation for our first biology outing was under way in Auckland and Hamilton. I dropped by to see 13 high school students at a training camp at Waikato University. They hail from Christchurch, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Auckland and Wellington.

A selection process reduced their numbers from about 80 put forward by various schools. One theory exam in November cut numbers to 30, a second in March whittled them down further. The Beijing-bound four, with two teachers, will be chosen by their showing at last week's camp.

It was all bunsen burners and agar plates when I happened by, and the messing about in lab coats looked fun. There seemed an entertaining possibility that someone would blow something up, or find a cure for cancer.

But I didn't actually have to understand what they were doing or be able to repeat it word perfect for a university-level examiner. Neither did I have to be around for the icky dissecting of worms and cockroaches.

It clearly was an absorbing but nerve-racking experience for the students, who face three more months of intense tutorials to help them to bridge the gap between high school biology and the knowledge required for the Olympiad.

Crystal from Kings College in Auckland manages a discreet "We'll see" when I ask whether she thinks she'll make it to Beijing for 12 hours of theory exams and lab work over five days.

The group's volunteer coaches - high school biology teachers and members of the Biology Educators Association of NZ (Beanz) and Waikato University staff, headed by biological sciences lecturer Alison Campbell - are more enthusiastically vocal.

Angela Sharples, a Rotorua Girls High School biology teacher and former Auckland University lecturer, has given up holiday time with her own children for her "passion to encourage kids into real science".

Campbell, who with Sharples has written the coursework, laments the meagre celebration of students succeeding in sciences compared with those achieving in sport.

"All the schools are thrilled their kids are here," says Campbell, adding her delight at the way Olympiad preparations are helping to expand the links between universities and schools. Massey University and Unitec are also involved.

Waikato University has been so impressed with the students it has offered $5000 scholarships to any who go on to study biology there.

But on top of their studies, the biology Olympians will have to raise at least $4000 each to get to China.

"In some countries it's an amazing honour and they receive national funding," says Kings College teacher and Beanz chairman Jules Robson. "Here we're not sure we can send them away."