The programme is an opportunity to improve scientific skills of children

FOCUS ON SCIENCE: The District Collector, Santosh Babu, interacting with students about the `Ariviyal Anandam' programme in Krishnagiri on Friday. — Photo: N. Bashkaran

Krishnagiri: For the first time in the State, Sarva Shiksha Abiyan (SSA) in association with AID India a non-governmental organisation has initiated an innovative programme to develop scientific concepts and learning among school children in Krishnagiri district. A total of 20,000 children in Stds VII and VIII will benefit under this programme.

The programme titled `Ariviyal Anandam' (Science is Fun) was launched by the Collector, Santhosh Babu, in a total of 101 schools, including middle, high and higher secondary schools, in Shoolagiri and Krishnagiri blocks in the district on Friday.

Mr. Babu said that school children see science only as facts given in textbooks. They don't relate what they learn in school to the world around them. As a result, science learning becomes boring and unreal.

The programme was an opportunity to improve the scientific skills of children. Teachers should act as role models and make children connect science learning with the real world. Based on this programme, simple experiments could be performed by using low-cost materials that children see around them every day.

According to the secretary of AID India, Balaji Sampath, within a short span of four months all children in Stds VII and VIII will learn to do 35 experiments based on scientific principles. The children will sit in groups and discuss the theories for the experiments. This will help them develop a mental code of the underlying principles.

Teachers will conduct two sessions every week and at the end of four months, the children will demonstrate what they had learnt at exhibitions. The programme is expected to improve the students learning of science as well as generate a lot of interest and excitement in learning.

AID India resource persons will train the teachers on experiments, concepts and methodology, Mr. Balaji added.

Children also demonstrated experiments they had learnt in a science exhibition organised as part of the programme. AID India Science Education Coordinator, Ravishankar, District Coordinator, Smitha Kalyani and District Coordinator, UNICEF, P. Ganesamoorthi were present.