Science in our School

Theory and experiments are two wheels of Science.
- Robert Milliken (Nobel Laureate)

India is a huge country. It has the richest cultural diversity, at the same time its economic diversity is also staggering. There are extremely rich people and also appalling poorer people. This imbalance is being reflected in all fields, but more in our education system. At one hand, we have the world class school, colleges and Institutes, on other hand we have enormously large number of school and colleges without the basic infra structures.
The interest towards science has to be created at very young age. That interest should be nurtured properly. The proper facility and conducive environment should be there in the school. But the most of our schools lack these ingredients.
Science should be taught by experiments. Children should do the experiments themselves so that they will have hands-on experience of the rules of the nature. But the sad part is that, in our school curricula no thrust is given for laboratory component. Only a few school can boast themselves having laboratory facility. The schools which are not having the desk- bench and boards, how can expect the laboratory?
We teach our young minds about dispersion, spectrum, magnetic field lines, electromagnetic induction, chemical reactions, weather forecasting, photosynthesis, respiration and many more in classes. These lectures have to be supplemented by experiments. Students then derive interest and inspiration towards science.
Here the role of Government comes. It has to provide not only the basic facility to all schools, but also the well equipped laboratory. The lab exercise should be a part of school curricula.
I will narrate our experience. For the past 25year, every year in our College we conduct “ In – depth Programme” for school children. In this week long programme, students of surrounding area visit our laboratory where we demonstrate experiments in Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The interest of those kids bring us utmost joy and satisfaction.
Probably these types of the efforts are the need of the hour. They will bring the school and colleges nearer and create interest in students towards science and motivate them take up higher studies and ultimately their career in Science.
Every drop of water produce the stream for the flowing river.