TWENTIETH HOME ECONOMICS OLYMPIAD REPORT 2003

This year is the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Home Economics Olympiad.  The following objectives were formulated when the Home Economics Olympiad was introduced in 1984 and after twenty years they are still relevant: 

• to improve the scientific basis of Home Economics related subjects
• to indicate the relevance of the subject content to the problems and activities encountered in the daily lives of individuals and families
• to indicate the relevance of the latest findings of Home Economics-related research to the daily lives of individuals and families
• to improve the status of Home Economics as a subject area
• to aim for participation of all education departments
• to accommodate differences between the various education departments where Home Economics-related subjects are taught
• to unify professionals in the field of Home Economics on secondary and tertiary educational levels.

THEORY PAPERS: OLYMPIAD AND CHALLENGE

The Olympiad and Challenge were both written on 29 July 2003 at 14:00.  A total of 2 285 learners entered for the Olympiad and the Challenge; 1 141 for the Olympiad and 1 144 for the Challenge (Table 1). More interest was shown than in 2002.

Structure of the Theory Papers
Learners had a choice in the essay-type questions (Section A) and had to complete four out of five questions in the Olympiad and Challenge. The multiple-choice questions (Sections B-H) were compulsory.  The Challenge was a two-hour paper with a total of 100 marks.  Grade 10 learners, Grade 11 learners and Standard Grade 12 learners wrote the Challenge.  The Olympiad was a three-hour paper with a total of 150 marks and was written by Grade 11 and Grade 12 learners.

Achievement
The highest mark obtained in the Olympiad was 81% (80% in 2002) and the highest average obtained by a school was 75% (70% in 2002).

The highest mark obtained in the Challenge was 80% (85% in 2002) and the highest average obtained by a school was 75% (77% in 2002).

PRIZE-GIVING

The prize-giving was held on Friday 26 September.  The Olympiad Top 20 and Challenge Top 10 and other category winners attended the activities (all in all 36 learners).  The day started with a welcoming by Prof Ria van Wyk, associate professor at Department of Consumer Science, University of Stellenbosch.  Mrs Adine Gericke gave an interesting lecture on textiles.  The learners went on a campus tour guided by Ms Monica Hülsmann.  Thereafter they visited the Red Pepper Deli, which is run by a former student of the Department of Consumer Science, Mrs Marlé Fourie and De Oewer Restaurant, which belongs to her brother, Mr Dawid Kriel.  This was followed by a visit to Bergzicht Training Centre.  Back at the Department Mrs Heleen Meyer of AMC Classic introduced the AMC Classic range to the learners. At 13:00 a light lunch was served by the final year students of the Department of Consumer Science under the expert guidance of their lecturer, Mrs Phia Murrell.  At 14:00 the prize-giving started.  This was attended by 120 people.  Mrs Elsabé van der Merwe, chairperson of the Department of Consumer Science welcomed the guests. All the wonderful prizes as well as the Gold and Silver Certificates were awarded to the learners and schools.  We thank all the learners, parents, teachers, principals, members of US and especially the sponsors who attended this event. 

PRIZES

AMC Classic The wonderful prize, namely a set of cookware to the value of R3 500, was awarded to the learner with the highest average over two years.  This prestigious prize was awarded to Anreza van der Merwe of Bellville High School.  Ten AMC Classic recipe books were awarded to top learners in the Olympiad and Challenge.

Bernina Two Bernina Activa machines to the value of R8 100 each were awarded to Potchefstroom Gymnasium for the highest average for Clothing in the Olympiad and toOuteniqua High School for the highest average for Clothing in the Challenge. 

Defy This year an outstanding achievement was made by Bellville High School.  They won the prize in both competitions and for this remarkable achievement they received a refrigerator and a tumble dryer.

dc Media Nutrition Education computer programmes were awarded to Ixopo High School, KwaZulu-Natal in the Olympiad and to Khutlo-Tharo Secondary School, Limpopo Region in the Challenge.  They were identified as schools of merit.

Huletts Sugars  Prizes to the amount of R3 000 were awarded to the first, second and third Olympiad prize-winners in Grade 11 and their schools. 
 

Learner	Prize	School	Prize
1. I Bester	R600	Stellenberg	R600
2. M Brand	R500	Bellville	R500
3. C Fowler	R400	Bellville	R400

Home Economics Publishing Co Cash prizes were awarded to the first three learners in the Challenge and their schools. 
 

Learner	Prize	School	Prize
1. J Hattingh	R700	Edgemead	R500
2. L-M v Eeden	R600	Outeniqua	R400
3. B Odendaal	R500	Porterville	R300

Pick 'n Pay Gift vouchers to the amount of R6 500 were awarded to the four overall Olympiad winners and their schools. The third place was shared.
 

Learner	Prize	School	Prize
1. E van Eck	R1500	Sentraal, Bloemftn	R1000
2. I Cillie	R1000	Bloemhof Girls High	R700
3. A v d Merwe	R650	Bellville	R500
3. C v Blerk	R650	Huguenot	R500

Tastic Rice  Olympiad regional winners (achievement >60%) received books from Tastic Rice (Table 2).

Unilever Bestfoods Robertsons Books to the value of R5 000 were awarded to the prize-winning schools in both competitions. 

Olympiad prize-winning schools in order of merit. The second place was shared.
1. Bellville High School
2. Bloemhof Girls High and Stellenberg High School
4. Huguenot, Wellington
5. Potchefstroom Gymnasium 
6. Pietermaritzburg Girls High School

Challenge prize-winning schools in order of merit
1. Bellville High School
2. Worcester Gymnasium
3. Edgemead High School
4. Rustenburg Girls High School

Gold and Silver Certificates
Gold Certificates were awarded to the Top 20 learners of the Olympiad.  Silver Certificates were awarded to the Top 10 learners in the Challenge. 

If all goes well the Olympiad and Challenge will be written on Tuesday 27 July 2004.  Entry forms for both competitions will be sent out during the first term.  The prize-giving will be held on Thursday 23 September 2004.  The Top 20 learners of the Olympiad and Top 10 of the Challenge will again be invited to spend the day in Stellenbosch and attend interesting sessions presented at the Department of Consumer Science. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We wish to thank all our sponsors for their continued support, without which the existence of the Olympiad as organisation is impossible.  Many sponsors have already been mentioned as sponsors of prizes. However, the office have other financial liabilities.  We are indeed indebted to our main sponsor Moir’s, our new sponsor the Canning Fruit Producers’ Association and to a sponsor of many years the Guava Producers’ Association who have helped us cover administrative costs.  A word of thanks to PricewaterhouseCoopers for the sponsorship of services involved in drawing up the financial report and to the University of Stellenbosch, Department of Consumer Science for supplying an office for the Olympiad. 
 

PLEASE CONTACT US

The address of the Olympiad Office is: Home Economics Olympiad, P O Box 3063, Matieland, Stellenbosch 7602.  The telephone number is 021:8083409 and fax: 021:8084804.  The E-mail address is AK4@SUN,AC.ZA and web-site is: http://www.sun.ac.za/consumer/RelOlympiad.htm

Table 2:  Olympiad winners of the respective regions, their schools and teachers

REGION	LEARNER	GRADE	SCHOOL	TEACHER
Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu-Natal Northern Cape North-West Western Cape	K Wicks E van Eck H du Plooy E Wang M Taljaard C van Velden I Cillié	12 12 12 12 12 12 12	Port Alfred High School  Sentraal High, Bloemfontein Noordheuwel High School, Krugersdorp Pietermaritzburg Girls High Colesberg High School Potchefstroom Gymnasium Bloemhof Girls’ High School, Stellenbosch	Ms I Schoombee  Ms A du Plessis Ms A Lubbe Ms G Kidd Ms M Wium Mrs B Jacobs Ms I Kriek

Please click here to see the Olympiad Top 50.