Government confident of pragmatic results soon

National program spearheaded for overall science education with a different approach will alleviate poverty

By Rosanne Koelmeyer Anderson

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Improving the research culture in Sri Lanka and developing a national development policy has become a foremost concern of the government. Celebrating the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) forth decade of advocacy in promoting science and technology in Sri Lanka, the NSF is spearheading the most extensive national science popularization program from the Year 1 student to its highest echelons of mature scientists in the wake of providing the impetus for rapid development in Sri Lanka.

The NSF together with the Ministry of Science and Technology believes that it is imperative to enhance the knowledge of science and technology of its society in order to eliminate poverty and forge ahead.

The NSF is now ready to take nanotechnology forward too and it should be incorporated as a broad-based national program. The Minister of Science and Technology, Tissa Vithana is convinced that with the calibre of scientific resource personnel Sri Lanka possesses we have achieved much and come thus far but with the potential wave of change in science and technology which is a tremendous challenge.

We have to augment our resource personnel speedily and to do that we have to begin at grass root level as the NSF has initiated and confident will prove to be a stepping stone to success: a nation devoid of poverty.

In an interview with Prof M.T.M. Jiffry, Vice Chairman of the University Grants Commission, Sri Lanka’s Senior Prof. of Physiology and Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Schools’ Popularization Programme of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Council of Science and Technology Education the comprehensiveness and insight of the ongoing School’s program which will take the nation to greater heights; an impetus towards advancement in the science and technology field was discussed at length.

‘The NSF celebrating it 40th anniversary will further broaden its horizons to promote science research education and popularization of science education among the general public: a National Committee for Science, Technology and Mathematics education were established as well as an Advisory Board for popularization of science amongst school children and general public as the global picture developing is that lesser and lesser children are going in for science education.

Most children now opt for management studies and not science and as a result people are not getting involved in science education. This has caused a drop in a knowledge based economy and a drain on the economy. The NSF has begun this science popularization program to motivate society from the Year 1 student to the scientist.’

Q. How are you going to popularize or promote this program?

A. Ensuring resource availability especially in rural areas is our priority. Providing reading material, promoting teacher based education to help teachers understand science properly and how to impart their knowledge in the most effective way in order to motivate both students and teachers, provide easy- to- establish laboratory facilities and to make the scientists good communicators and good writers.

It is a multi-factorial approach that we are looking at. We have already begun implementing it at different levels. It is an extensive program.

‘As the program necessitates training of teachers right from primary level; the NSF, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education will initially give support to these teachers to adopt proper methods of engaging in practical science using the correct apparatus in every instance.

The government is working with UNESCO on a proposal to provide mobile laboratory carts at a low cost to the schools in particular where laboratory facilities are poor.

The laboratory carts will contain apparatuses such as a test tube, a hand lens, a dissecting microscope, a pair of scissors, a Petri dish, indicator material, a torch, burner, ruler.

Cotton wool and samples in polythene bags which could be easily taken out into the open or a classroom in order to conduct experiments. In engaging in practical science education students will be motivated. JICA and UNESCO will also provide support material for students to do experimental and exploratory work’, Prof Jiffry explained.

‘Meanwhile, teachers will also be trained on project work at primary and secondary levels in particular where special emphasis on innovation and skills will be tackled and certificates will be given on completion of the training.

Another interesting aspect which has been given much thought and will be incorporated is the dearth of writing on science literature which will be widely promoted and the NSF will pay the writer for and publish in all three languages which will in turn be used as resource material to help society as an entity become science literate’.

‘Yet another aspect which has been incorporated into the program is the preparation of computer based material in compact disc (CD) format which has gained popularity as it is considered a better way of interaction or retrieving.

Software firms has now moving into dissemination of information in CD and video formats for educational as well as for advertisements on science related subjects where vital information on natural disasters, earth slips, how they occur and how best these could be avoided has been made available. In fact, a company tendered in and some of these were shown on TNL.

Meanwhile, the regular journal ‘Vidusara’ is also being published every six months with simple articles written by scientists to help students’.

Prof Jiffry pointed out that under the program Science Societies were being established in schools under the guidance of teachers where Rs. 10,000 will be given annually and they would be graded according to the projects done and certificates would be given.

To further strengthen their effort, the Institute of Engineering, Intel, Ministries of Science and Technology and Education and the NSF will also conduct an annual competition and exhibition as a national project to develop innovative skills where the best ones will be given a chance to international exposure too.

In their attempt to make scientists’ better communicators the NSF will provide forums for interaction between scientists, journalist and writers.

The NSF has trained around hundred scientists up to now and are also getting resource people from India and Australia to train more such personnel while on World Science Day which falls of November 10 the NSF will identify talented students and teachers of science research and facilitate creating a conducive environment to foster advancement of Science and Technology in Sri Lanka and alleviate poverty.