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:: "Rose, where did you get that red, Dragon, where did you get that fire, Stars, why do you twinkle, twinkle so bright and why are you so
high"- As written by a child poet.
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The 'why', 'what', and 'how' are interrogatives as old as, may be, the recorded age of mankind. And wasn't man a child unto himself when
mankind was still in its infancy, as amazed and intrigued by nature's
mystique and mysteries as the child who wrote this?
The answers, and definitely not all of them, have come only with the
advent of science - a learning by experience and experimentation, a
learning passed down by man to child, teacher to the taught, mankind to
mankind.
True, our 'generation next' will have more answers than we have; true,
our children will know more than we do; and true also that science will
continue to break newer grounds, but pause a while. |
THE 'FIRST LAW' Science itself :
Pause and ponder: are we passing down the scientific experiences
responsibly enough? Spare a moment, and let's be honest: are we being
effective enough in dealing with the eternally inquisitive human mind?
Are we 'able' enough to impart a true understanding of science as
science?
Aren't we handing down mere definitions and 'second hand' experiences
without ourselves attempting to delve a little deeper?
The answers in the Indian context, today, are more in the affirmative
than most of us would ever like to admit or believe. Why else would a
Newton's law be a 'law' enforced on the students, across our classrooms,
by means of a convenient concise definition?
Shouldn't somebody, for a change, let the apple fall, again?
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LETTING THE APPLE FALL
Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF)
Against the backdrop of a scenario where the students' preference for
science as a subject had gone down by an alarming 23% (as per the
surveys conducted in the country), leading academicians, scientists and
media people who were concerned about the falling standards of science
education in the country, thought it was time to come forward and
constitute a consortium. Thus, Science Olympiad Foundation was born in
the year 1998.
A non-profit organisation, the Science Olympiad Foundation was
established, with the aim of promoting science as a subject, as
stimulating as ever, as also with the objective of helping improve the
standard of science education.
Over the last decade or so, the organisation has striven to promote a
proper understanding of science through various activities with the
ultimate aim of contributing both qualitatively and quantitatively to
the scientific talent pool of the country.
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A ‘BETTER’ DEFINITION SOF Mission Statement
:
The SOF aims at furthering the cause of nation- building by contributing
to the development of a scientifically talented younger generation,
thereby increasing the global competitiveness of the country's immense
talent resource.
The SOF endeavours to:
- identify and nurture scientific talent at the School level;
- instil a feeling of belonging to the national and global science
fraternity amongst the students through promoting their participation in
national and international science events; and
- infuse a new interest amongst the students by bringing in an element
of contest, as in sports, and rewarding them for their successes.
The SOF also realises that it cannot fully achieve its objectives unless
the teaching fraternity is equally made aware of the urgent need for
innovation in teaching methods. Hence it aims at bringing about a speedy
and steady change in the way science education is being imparted in the
country.
The SOF eventually aims to become a Centre of Excellence for promotion
of quality science education through research, especially in the area of
science education and subsequent training of teachers. |
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