Olympiade de Biologie

The organizers send an information package (folder, poster, instructions…) by post to every secondary school and to a wide selection of science teachers.

Selected journalists get it, too.

A press release is widely sent to journalists by e-mail.

The same information is available on the website www.olympiades.be.

The Biology Olympiad promotion is carried out in co-operation with the Chemistry and Physics Olympiads (information mailing, sponsor hunting, website…).

The competition itself is organized on 2 levels: 6th year (last year of secondary education), and 5th year (the year before). In 5th year there are 2 rounds, in 6th year 3 rounds. Participation is individual and not compulsory.

Biology teachers are responsible for their students application. They apply directly in a web database. An application fee has to be paid (3 € / student).

• January. The first round is held simultaneously in schools: teachers get the questions and the answers. Teachers mark the tests and send the results back to the organizers.
  

• February. Some 90-100 students are selected (30-40 5th year, 50-60 6th year) and pass the second round. This test is carried out in 4-5 universities around the country. The organizers mark the tests. About 10 laureates are selected this way in 5th year (the competition stops at this level in 5th year: those laureates are automatically selected for the 2nd round next year); about 15 laureates are selected in 6th year.
  

• March / April / May. Those students (6th year) get a limited training programme (see below: Student training).
  

• May. The third round allows to define the final ranking.
  The best 2 students will go to the IBO

• First round: multiple choice questions
• Second round: mix of multiple choice and open questions
• Third round: mostly open questions, some practical work
  

4 Saturdays for 15 finalists, in Universities and Natural sciences Museum.

This training covers topics, which are not or poorly covered by main school curricula.

No specific study material is defined or recommended.

Teachers can buy a CD-ROM with questions of the previous National Olympiads
(http://www.probio.be/spip.php?article28).

A specific syllabus is published concerning the first round (we need a common standard because 3 educational systems exist, each one having its own curriculum).
See http://www.probio.be/spip.php?article104 (in French)

The Olympiad competition selects 7 to 10 laureates in 5th year, 12 to 15 in 6th year.

The awarded prizes are diplomas and some science (text)books.
Almost no money (one 150 € cheque is awarded to the first 6th year laureate); no medals.

No specific access to anything (University or so) is linked to NBO awards.

• Media coverage is limited: the most important daily newspaper used to publish 2-3 papers a year about the NBO. This support stopped since 2008.
• Sporadic publications appear in other newspapers and news websites.
• Some radio interviews. No TV so far…

The most important support comes from the Ministry of Education of the French Community.

Extra money comes from:

• the Brussels Regional Government,
• the Walloon Regional Government,
• the German Community Government.

Private sponsoring is limited.

The French-speaking Ministry of Education grants money for running the Olympiad and is involved in some promotion.

The rules are published yearly (in French) in the information leaflet sent to schools & teachers.

Basically they define:

• who is allowed to participate (class, age, compliance with IBO and EUSO rules);
• the application fee;
• how the Olympiad is set up and organized;
  
• which national laureates are applicable for international competitions.

(Dépliant de présentation).

• First round: 650-700 applicants.
• Second round: ± 40 selected in 5th year students (1st ranked is part of EUSO team)
  ± 60 selected in 6th year
• Third round for 6th year students (15 finalists); 2 best students take part in IBO.