Help students excel in Mathematics and Science, says Nagaland’s advisor for School Education

Our Correspondent
Kohima, March 16 (EMN): Advisor for School Education, KT Sukhalu on Tuesday said Mathematics and Science have been a big challenge for students from past to present but exuded confidence that ‘Nischals portable and micro-scale laboratories’ will help students from the state excel in these subjects.

He was speaking at the launch of Nischals portable and micro-scale laboratories at Rüzhükhrie Government Higher Secondary School (RGHSS) in Kohima on Tuesday.

The facility was donated by Hyderabad-based Nischal’s Smart Learning Solutions Private Limited, through corporate social responsibility.

Sukhalu thanked Nischal Narayanam, the founder and mentor of the company, and his team for donating the facilities to several schools in Nagaland.

He also urged the teachers to concentrate during the training and help students develop interest and pick up the subjects without any barrier.

Pointing out that the number of graduates from humanities is huge but few in the subjects of Mathematics and Science, he opined that the world is a bigger field to play for those who have those subjects as their background.

He also observed that many are comfortable with smart phones and computers even without being taught and asserted that likewise, ‘when a person set one’s mind to learn mathematics, one can do it’.

Reminding that Nagaland is faced with serious unemployment problem despite having highest government employees according to its population ratio, Sukhalu urged the students to focus on Science and Mathematics to explore possibilities to succeed.

‘Language of the universe is Mathematics’

Speaking at the event, Narayanam urged the students to be ‘consistent and passionate’. Informing that his passion towards Mathematics developed at an early age, he said the subject is “the same everywhere but the methodology to learn and apply is quite different in the country”.

He observed that there is a fear and dislike for Mathematics amongst the children due to the foundation at an early age where ‘fundamentals were not strongly learned’.

He said different regions have different languages but the language of the universe is Mathematics.

“The meaning and the purpose is achieved only when we correlate that knowledge to the outside world, otherwise there is no meaning and purpose acquiring knowledge in the four walls of classroom,” said Narayanam, who was a two-time world record holder in the field of memory power at the age of 11 and 13 years.

He maintained that every small concept has so much essence and purpose and that ‘learning by doing’ is the most efficient proven practice of education.

He requested the teachers to make use of the laboratory, and not to keep it as a show piece, so that the students can inculcate through practice.

“Long-term consistency beats short-term intensity,” said Narayanam and asserted that consistent effort is required to be successful.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive of CR Rao Advance Institute of Mathematics Statics and Computer Science, Hyderabad, Dr. Yugandhar, said that the evolution of both Mathematics and Computer Science will invariably shape the world of tomorrow.

Maintaining that breakthrough and advances in sciences will facilitate in inventions in all other fields of sciences, he stressed on the need to create awareness on the power and application of these disciplines.

He also implored Nagaland to request the Government of India to set up an Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) campus in the state, “preferably in Kohima or Dimapur”, that will play a significant role to enhance skill development, capacity building and improve opportunities for young educated people.

Six schools to get the facility

Meanwhile, the principal director of school education, Shanavas C, informed that ‘Nischals portable and micro-scale laboratories’ had donated full laboratories (Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics) to be set up at government higher secondary schools (GHSS) in Zunheboto, Kohima, Mon and  Dimapur, and added that each lab will cost INR 7.5 lakh.

Maths laboratories, each costing (single lab) INR 1.75 lakh, will be set up at GHSS in Phek and Tuensang.

In this regard, two-day training for school teachers of the receiving schools will be conducted on March 17 and the 18th.