France
Olympiades de biologie
Website of “Sciences à l’Ecole” depending on french « Ministère de l’Education Nationale », providing information about IBO and other international olympiads. It includes public pages (free access) and specific pages reserved to teachers and members of the scientific committee (access needing a password).
Posters shipped in all secondary senior high schools with “classes préparatoires”.
Information of Heads and teachers by mailing and e-mailing from “Sciences à l’Ecole”.
Information of regional biology inspectors (IA-IPR) by e-mailing from the “Inspection Générale”, thus spreading the promotion to all senior secondary schools.
Official ceremony in Paris in October, with the participants to the IBO, IChO and IPhO (press invited).Organizer : “Sciences à l’Ecole”, official structure of the Ministry of Education, which organizes national olympiads and selections for IBO, IChO and IPhO.
Open and free registration, before the end of January 2009, for students of our « lycées » (regular secondary schools for general education in our national system). It concerns students of last year (7th) of secondary studies (« classes terminales ») and first year of « classes preparatoires ». There is only one category.
In 2009, 393 students have been registered.
312 took part to the theoretical test in March 2009. All of them were born after July 1st 1989 and none has started studying at the university as a regular student.
Our national olympiads OFB include 2 rounds.
First round: theoretical test only (on March the18th from 6PM to 8PM) pre-selecting 14 students (formerly 12 in 2007 and 2008).
Second round: practical test at the end of 5 days - training session (see below). Selection of the national team (4 students + 2 outsiders) by addition of marks obtained from this practical test and from the theoretical test.Theoretical tests (1st round) in each participating school. These tests, prepared by the national scientific committee, are based on 80 IBO-style questions. Mainly multi-choice answers, allowing an automatic digital processing : students work on a paper test like in the IBO but they fill a digital answer form on computers at the end of the test.
Practical tests IBO-style are organized at the “Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan” (clos to Paris), at the end of the training session (see below).Before the theoretical test, in each secondary school having students registered for the Olympiads, self-training with informal help from the biology teacher (about 1 to 2 hours a week in small groups).
The 14 pre-selected competitors attend a 5 days - training session at the “Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan”, famous school of higher education near Paris (April 20th to 24th) : practical and theoretical intensive training ; verification of the level in English language, so that the selected students can take part to conversations with their mates during the IBO (a student unable to speak basic English should not be selected in the French team for the IBO).
Cf. website of the ENS Cachan : http://www.ens-cachan.fr/version-francaise/actualites/actualites-vie-de-l-ecole/olympiades-de-biologie-61018.kjsp?RH=1189696997514
No specific materials. Books (Campbell and Reece, Raven…), former IBO and OFB tests, IBO website and various national olympiads websites.
Certificate of participation (and free entrance to a museum) for every student.
Special certificates:
- for the 14 and 4 selected competitors,
- for the first non-selected competitor in each school,
- for the best students from “classes terminales” (3d year of senior high school)
Awards by various sponsors (lab materials furnishers, editors, museums):
- microscopes or binoculars for the 14 selected students (awarding ceremony at the end of the 5 days - training session)
science books, free museum entries, … for the best students in each school.
None, except a few lines in some regional newspapers. In France, unfortunately, this kind of event is very weakly covered by the media.
”Sciences à l’Ecole “ via The Paris Observatory gives a yearly financial support for IChO, IPhO and IBO and provides one secretary.
NB : everything is free for students involved in the OFB and IBO : registration, tests, training session…The organizer « Sciences à l’Ecole » is an official structure of the French Ministry of Education.
The President of the French organizing committee of the IBO is a general inspector of national education.
Strongly linked with the IBO rules ; see « Reglement OFB » on the website.
2007: OFB 245 registered students, 201 competitors from 19 secondary schools. IBO 3 bronze medal.
2008: OFB 290 registered students, 213 competitors from 19 secondary schools. IBO 3 silver medals, 1 bronze medal
2009: OFB 393 registered students, 312 competitors from 23 secondary schools
