By Fazal Khaliq
MINGORA: Students of government schools said, they, for the first time, learnt the practical uses of mathematics and science, and developed observation to the subjects in the context of day to day life.
They were sharing their views in the week-long summer camp under a theme ‘popular science’, launched by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary Education Department here in the government high schools in Swat.
Mathematics and science experts are teaching students innovative approaches and ideas about every day science and mathematics. Students in the camp said they were much impressed by the practical ideas and learnt uses of every day science in a much different and usef angle.
“I hated mathematics because it was hard to understand but now I developed liking with it as I learnt its practical uses in our daily life. I learnt the practical applications of prime factorization in our life,” said Adnan Zaman, a student of seven grade, adding that he would take his mathematics classes with keen interest from then.
In the class of everyday science students were busy in making some projects. They said that science was never so much interested for them as their regular teachers did not teach it in practical way.
“The teachers in the summer camp are teaching practical science and they did several experiments on the topics which we have already done theoretically in our conventional classes,” said Haq Nawaz a ninth grade student in government high school Shagai, Saidu Sharif.
Dr Jawad Iqbal an educationist who presently works on students to develop liking for mathematics and science in KP said that the situation of the students in KP was very discouraging as only 41 percent students of grade five in KP can do simple mathematics and in the SSC examinations students get very low percentage in science and mathematics.
“According to the national testing service report, students always lag behind to achieve good scores in mathematics. Mathematics and science education is instrumental in shaping a bright future of Pakistan so there is an urgent need of improvement in the national and provincial stock of cognitive skills and to prioritize mathematics and science education in the country,” he said.
Wadood Ahmad a mathematics expert who belonged to Knowledge Platform Islamabad said that he found students of Swat very intelligent and sharp. “If these students have been given proper guidance and teaching they will play active and influential role in the system of Pakistan in future,” he said.
District Swat Education Officer (DEO) Male, Muhammad Amin said that the summer camp activity aimed to involve school children in practical activities of the day to day life with focus on every day science.
“We have invited experts in various fields who share practical information with the students so that they can learn and understand them in right context. I see that students are taking great interest in the activities,” he told Dawn, adding that the summer camp would continue till 14 August.
Students were involved in fun and sports activities in the summer camp where they were exhibiting their talents and receiving applause from the visitors.
