Outreach activities for science education
Crowd watching the total solar eclipse, 22 July 2009
Where do we stand in science and technology in Bangladesh? There are many aspects that we can begin with, but let me start with a very basic ingredient science education. Day-by-day our students enrolling to science in schools are dwindling. Parents want their children to go for business studies to make good managers and accountants, but not scientists and engineers. Moreover, the best among the few students that do enroll for science go for engineering studies and medical sciences, not for basic sciences. This highly imbalanced situation is quite unhealthy for balanced growth of the country. We shall need a lot of scientists to lead our way in this century. How to come around with such a condition? One particular way is to try fixing the problem at the root level i.e. to convince the youngsters to take up science as a major in their school days. Here comes proper awareness activities specially designed for the youngsters. Awareness activities are performed by chalking out detailed outreach activities that involves extensive public talks delivered by prominent scientists and engineers, writing popular science books for various age-groups, radio and tv program for teenagers, quiz programs, hands-on demonstrations, documentary shows, co-curricular activities designed to supplement the regular class-textbooks etc. In other countries, different science organizations and clubs and interest groups sponsor and coordinate such activities. And Government also takes active part in such programs by arranging proper funds through various govt. institutions, ministries and other means. Even universities also sponsor endowed chairs on public understanding of science. Since the end-products of such activities are always the universities and its various science and technology departments, so naturally university professors take active part in such activities. The Indian Ministry of Science and ICT takes active role in such outreach activities by sponsoring various tv programs on science. We have a few institutes, organizations and science clubs that can significantly contribute in outreach activities. Our Science Ministry can initiate many activities (a few suggestions will be given later) activate the science museum and novotheatre to start outreach activities for promoting basic science education among our schools. They can do it by encouraging different schools to participate in regular programs, hold regular popular lectures, live demonstrations, video demonstrations, documentary showings, science book festivals, poster competitions etc. A portable museum or a planetarium and a creating a Science City (e.g. the Kuwait Science Fair or the Tunis Science City) will have a huge motivational effect. The following is a list of activities that may be taken to gear up the efforts of creating an awareness among the young students, to attract them to science and technology and encourage them to build their careers in science and technology: Regular road-shows with colorful brochures/booklets in Bengali Popular lectures in divisional headquarters and districts on a routine basis Colorful easy-to-read science books for the students TV programs in private channels and BTV. The print and the electronic media can play a very constructive role in public awareness programs. Educational programs: these will be designed such as the young students will take up small assignments in science and learn to appreciate the scientific methods. There are several programs in the internet that is designed to create science awareness for children and teenagers. Two specific examples are - Hands-on Universe (http://www. Handsonuniverse.org/) or In-to-Nano program for Egyptian teenagers (http://www.in2nano. Sabrycorp.com). BBC World 2 Trust in Bangladesh launched a similar program to teach English (www.bbcjanala.com) that has been very successful. BBC can launch a similar program on science education. Documentaries on well-known Bangladeshi scientists and other science subjects in Bengali. The Ministry of Science and ICT can initiate such activities and ask UNESCO, BBC and other organizations to come forward with innovative ideas in this regard. At the same time our existing science clubs and local and indigenous organizations should also coordinate their efforts in order to create a platform for a common purpose. In this regard, I might mention the success of the Bangladesh Math Olympiad competitions. They have successfully removed the mathofobia from the young minds. This is reflected in this year's higher score in SSC math, and that is, I believe, a direct outcome of the yearly Math Olympiad programs that is currently being organized, thanks to a set of dedicated scientists, activists, local entrepreneurs and the media.
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