Sindh Education Department plans to establish Science Museums in Karachi and Larkana – Sardar Shah
Karachi
The first ever two-day Sindh Science Festival opened at NED University in Karachi on Thursday with the massive participation of hundreds of students from different districts of the province.
The students along with their teachers from different schools of Karachi and other districts of Sindh turned up at the venue to participate in the festival where they displayed the unique science models which were keenly watched and praised by the visitors, who thronged the venue on the first day.
Sindh Minister for Education and Literacy Department, Syed Sardar Ali Shah after formally inaugurating the festival lauded the efforts of the organizers including Partab Shivani, the CEO Thar Education Alliance and his team members, representative of different organizations and the participating students and their teachers , who had arrived at the venue to present their science models.
“We cannot go ahead without imparting modern science education and inculcating the habits of the experimenting the things around in our kids,” he said and added that together with quality education they should be given the access to the modern scientific equipment at their respective schools to keep abreast with the changing world, which was going fast due to modern inventions and discoveries.
He made it clear that STEM education was the key to success and to keep abreast with the changing world and urged the students to take more interest in such subjects. He said that they were trying to introduce the license system among the teachers of the province after giving them proper training.
He said that officials of the alliance after successfully organizing the wonderful events in Thar showed their willingness to organize the festival in Karachi and he happily welcomed the decision and assured Mr. Shivani and his team members to go ahead with such a noble cause to provide students with a unique opportunity to showcase their talent in a big city like Karachi.
“Such positive steps will help us all to formulate the plans to promote such more activities at least at the district level,’ he said and added that his department had already decided to establish two science museums in Karachi and in Larkana and science laboratories in schools and colleges across the province.
Sardar Shah said that a number of the government schools were running without the science labs and the Sindh government would soon establish the labs in the schools across the province to cater to the demands of the students. “I am trying my best to focus on the little but important things in education sector including on co-curricular activities besides advocating for the curriculum in regional languages,” he said.
Sardar Shah said that it was the credit goes to Thari students to set a trend of participating in such activities by making wonderful science models and urged the participants of the event to organize science festivals at the district level across the province.
Minister also visited the stalls set up by the students from various schools of different districts of the province and expressed keen interest in the performances of the students and praised their efforts and enthusiasm in displaying their objects.
Mosharraf Zaidi, writer, journalist and educationalist during the panel discussion said that limiting the scope of education to mere few subjects was very detrimental to the mental growth of the students. He observed that education could be used as a best tool to bring real change in the society.
Partab Shivani, CEO of Thar Education Alliance speaking on the occasion said that he and his team members after getting huge response by organizing such events in Tharparkar, Thatta and other districts, was advised by his friends and partners to go ahead with the plan in a city like Karachi.
He urged the high-ups of Sindh government to allocate the special funds for organizing such activities in every region which according to him would create competitiveness among the students.
Ms. Maleeha Khan, chief program manager of Malala Fund said that they were trying to improve the existing education system. She said that Malala Fund was giving special focus to education of the girls and hoped that girls from the backward areas would get space during events and to shine themselves.
Ms. Huma Bukhari, co-chairperson of Newports Institute of Communication and Economics observed that it was the fundamental right of every student to get access to modern education.
Yaqub Pechi, the chairman of Thar Education Alliance said that they were trying to give opportunities to the students of the remote and backward areas to shine at the national and international levels.
Ms. Cheho Ohashi, chief advisor, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) stressed upon the quality of education with special attention to science education. She said that only trained teachers could help impart the quality of education adding she said that her organization had been at forefront in supporting the organization in such healthy activities.
Adil Darvesh, Roshan Bukhari, Mukesh Nand, Iqbal Sheikh, Prem Sagir, Jibran Jamshed, Junaid Dahar and others also spoke during different sessions moderated by the people from different institutes of the events. (PR)
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