‘Developing your skill will teach you how to compete’

Lingrijan high school takes science competition

[caption id="attachment_146541" align="alignnone" width="550"] School Education’s Principal Director Smita Sarangi addressing students at the state-level science exhibition at Kohima on October 26.[/caption] Our Correspondent Kohima, Oct. 26 (EMN): The government high school at Lingrijan in Dimapur has been declared the winner of the state-level science exhibition for 2017. The event was organised as part of the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan (RAA) programme, by the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan of Nagaland. The event was conducted with the theme ‘non conventional source of energy for substitution of non-renewable energy.’ The government higher secondary schools of Mayangnokcha in Mokokchung and Phek were adjudged the second and third-placed winners. Nine schools from across the state participated in the event. The exhibition was held at the State Council of Educational Research & Training in Kohima on Oct. 26. Speaking at the programme as the chief guest, Smita Sarangi, principal director of School Education, said that although all cannot be scientists some have the scientific bend of mind with the ‘special gift’ of having a scientific mind. [caption id="attachment_146543" align="alignnone" width="550"] Students display a model at the science exhibition.[/caption] Hence, Sarangi said that the platform tries to identify such talents among students and in those who show a future in the discipline. The schools were encouraged to take up the activity more keenly because ‘unless we participate more and more and try to develop better and bigger models, we will never be able know what we are capable of.’ Observing that there was no dearth of talent among students, Sarangi maintained that it was important to realise one’s potential and learn to identify it by taking advantages of whatever opportunity comes their way. ‘Once you develop yourself you will learn to compete,’ she said. Also pointing out that a person usually acts according to what they think, Sarangi asserted ‘if you can think in a futuristic manner then the future of our state is in safe hands.’ In his keynote address, deputy mission director for the RMSA Timothy Thong said that the objective of conducting science exhibitions for secondary students was also to develop a ‘scientific attitude in the young minds, to make them realise the interdependence of science, technology and socio-economic development.’ RAA focuses on connecting school-based knowledge to life outside school and to make learning science and mathematics a joyful and meaningful activity, he explained. The programme, he said, was a ‘convergent framework’ that aims at ‘nurturing a spirit of enquiry and creativity, love for science and mathematics and effective use of technology amongst children and also encourage those who show an inclination and talent for these subjects by supporting them to heights of academic excellence and research.’ Thong pointed out also that the programme aimed at providing a common platform to school teachers and students for them to illustrate ideas and give shape to creative and innovative thoughts besides providing a scope for the development of students in the field of science. The official was optimistic that the platform would help children and teachers to learn from each other’s experience and motivate them to design and develop things that are new. It also serves as a medium to popularise science and increase awareness among stakeholders, which is the very essence of RAA. The juries for the exhibition were Elizabeth Walling, asst. prof., NCTE; Daniel Thong, assoc. prof., SCERT; and Keneisalie Nakhro, academic officer, NBSE.

Trying to bridge ‘deficiency’ in math and science teachers

Principal Director Smita Sarangi has said that she was aware of the fact that the level of math and science education in the state was lagging compared to others in the country. Attributing this gap to the lack of adequate number of math and science teachers in many of the schools, Sarangi said she has received numerous complaints from many quarters in the state in this regard. Over the years this problem has aggravated which has resulted in poor performance in said subjects, the official said. Nevertheless, she informed that the school education department was keen on trying to mitigate this gap, for which a recruitment examination for math and science teachers was conducted recently. Sarangi expressed hope that the results would be declared soon. Hopefully by the next academic session, at least the deficiency at the high school level will come down. While noting that students were suffering because of the lack of infrastructure and adequate equipment, she informed that the department was trying to support the high schools and higher secondary schools that are opting for the science stream; the support is in the form of incentives to ensure that labs and basic equipments are available.