Congratulations to India’s Physics Olympiad champions. Now let’s help govt school students win too
There was a lot happening in the news, so you may have missed this: India finished as joint winner of the 56th International Physics Olympiad in Colombia. All five students who represented India won gold medals. Last year, India won three golds and two silvers. In the last 30 years, Indian students have won about 60 gold medals and 55 silver medals in this competition. This is only the second time, after 2018, that every member of the Indian team has won gold.
That is wonderful news. Physics is one of the most important subjects today. It helps build things like computer chips, satellites, robots and AI. Many of the world’s biggest technology companies depend on it. India should be proud of these young champions.
But this success also makes us ask an important question. How do we help talented children become winners? This year, all five gold medallists studied at famous coaching institutes. None came from a government school. That suggests our school system alone may not be preparing even the brightest students for tough international competitions. We already see something similar with exams like JEE and NEET, where many students depend on coaching centres.
Does this happen in other countries too? Not always. Last year’s US gold medallists studied at public schools that are paid for by the government. One studied at Monta Vista High School in California. Another studied at Henry M. Gunn High School, also a government-funded school. Their schools helped prepare them for success.
Some people may say that winning is all that matters. But how we win matters too. Most Indian children study in government schools. So why aren’t more of these schools producing international champions?
Reports say that more than 90,000 government schools have closed in the last 10 years. That may save money, but what happens to children whose families cannot afford private schools? Countries with far fewer resources have still produced Olympiad winners. Cuba has won medals even though it has faced economic problems for decades. Iran has also won more than 100 gold and silver medals since 1989. These countries show that good schools can create winners without depending on coaching centres.
India should make its government schools stronger. A good goal would be to build a Physics Olympiad team made entirely of government school students within the next 10 years. That would be a victory for the whole country.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
