Nine-year-old Malmsbury Primary School student Oscar Chan has earned a place among Australia’s brightest young minds after being invited to join Australian Mensa.
Oscar, a grade four student, received the invitation after being assessed by a neuropsychologist as gifted, placing him among the top two per cent of the population for intellectual ability.
Australian Mensa is a not-for-profit organisation for people who achieve scores within the highest two per cent on recognised intelligence tests. Founded in 1946, it is the world’s oldest and largest high-IQ society, with about 150,000 members globally, including around 3000 in Australia.
Oscar’s mother, Lili Chan, said her son approached the assessment with enthusiasm rather than nerves.
“When I asked if he was nervous, he said, ‘No mama, I’m excited to see how smart I am’,” she said.
Ms Chan described Oscar as humble despite his remarkable achievement.
“He’s obviously a very smart little cookie, but he’s also a sweet, caring and charming young fella,” she said.
“I’ve been a foster carer to two siblings for the past 15 years, and Oscar has shared his mum, home and toys with them his entire life.”
Malmsbury Primary School principal, Travis Pool, said the school was proud of the support and programs they offered for children and their learning.
“We are really proud at Malmsbury Primary School that despite being a small school, we have a great understanding of the needs of Oscar and all of our children and can provide enrichment tasks that continue to extend their learning,” he said.
Oscar’s favourite things to learn about are science and mathematics. In particular he has being exploring topics including forensic science and the secret life of plants.
In November, Oscar and his mother will travel to Canberra for the Australian Mensa Conference, which this year coincides with the organisation’s 80th anniversary celebrations.
“I am proud to be a young Mensan and I am super excited to go to the Mensa Conference in Canberra in November, which will also be a big Mensa birthday party,” Oscar said.
“I love going to school and learning new things. Maths is my favourite.”