Grade 10 to 12 learners are once again encouraged to participate in a unique competition aimed at testing their skills in the English language. The theme for 2016 Olympiad is A journey into darkness: Excerpts from stories exploring the darker side of human nature.
The annual competition is organised jointly by the Grahamstown Foundation and the South African Council for English Education (SACEE) and draws over 8 000 entries each year.
Top achievers will win substantial cash prizes of R32 000 for first place, R29 500 for second and R27 000 for third place. In addition, the top 15 candidates will receive invitations to attend the National Schools Festival and the English Olympiad prize-giving ceremony Grahamstown in July.
The Top 50 Candidates will be offered free tuition scholarships for their first year of any course of study at Rhodes University immediately upon the successful completion of their matriculation examination, subject to their meeting the University’s entry requirements.
The English Olympiad is designed to enrich learners through the study of English and to appreciate the nuanced subtleties of superbly honed texts. The competition will take place on 1st March 2016 when learners will write a three-hour, open-book examination at their respective schools. The exam is based on an anthology entitled The Darkness in Man’s Heart that contains excerpts from five books linked to the Olympiad theme.
The excerpts in the 2016 competition are from This book betrays my brother by South African writer Kagiso Lesego Molope; The turn of the screw, a Henry James classic; The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde; Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley and Joseph Conrad’s Heart of darkness. Candidates will receive the prescribed anthology in November, giving them ample time to read the excerpts over the December holidays. They should then be fully prepared to participate in seminars and discussions over a seven week period during the first term.
Schools and candidates have until 9 September 2015 for early bird entries (R120) while late entries close on Friday 30 October 2015 (R130).
Entry forms are available on the De Beers English Olympiad website: www.saenglisholympiad.org.za. The closing date for bursary applications is 9 September 2015.
* For more information contact: Jane Grindley, Olympiad Officer, Tel: 046 603 1107/45. Email: olympiad@foundation.org.za.
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