Stakeholders and officials from the Ministry of Education yesterday met the students and teachers who participated in the recent National Level of the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge and pledged continued support for similar future projects.
The engagement was a follow-up workshop and meeting at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development Centre (NCERD) in Kingston, where the fruits of the competition were demonstrated.
Chief Education Officer Olato Sam, in his address to the audience, said it was imperative to engage students in science initiatives. The ministry, he said, was extremely proud of the projects that came out of the competition and even prouder of the students who were involved.
He urged them not to stop at the competition since this would be an injustice. He also said every student must become versed in the art of science, since subjects like science and mathematics are very important and it is essential to place emphasis on them.
Minister of Education Priya Manickchand pointed to the need to advance in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in order to develop and evolve in a civilised manner. The ministry, she said, was committed to honouring their obligation to provide an environment where teachers can explore and where children can feel the need to be creative and think outside the box. She recognised the challenges faced by the ministry and said that the ministry is prepared to meet these challenges head on and work with the different schools.
Micro science kits, she added, have now been introduced into schools across the country to assist students in their various science labs. These kits allow students to engage in science by using small amounts of chemicals for the experiments that are needed. She urged the private sector to get on board with the various schools.
National Science Coordinator at NCERD, Petal Jettoo urged students to realise the usefulness of science and how it can be harnessed to solve problems. She applauded Zeeburg Secondary, the winners of the competition, for their excellent job in applying STEM to their problem in such an innovative matter. The school, she said, wanted to drop out of the competition but with some persistence not only managed to stay in the competition, but also win it.
She lauded team leader at Zeeburg Secondary Lakshman Ramdat who was one of the 12 students in the regional finals selected from 800 students and 180 entries. She also urged more companies to get on board since Sagicor has indicated that this will be an annual competition and students and teachers will need support in their various projects. She gave special thanks to Brass Aluminium and Cast Iron Foundry (BACIF) for assisting the students and teachers in building a smaller model of their shrimp processor to take to the regional competition.
Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) Head Mahender Sharma lauded the ministry for taking the lead in hosting the forum. GEA, he said, is prepared to work with the schools to develop the ideas.
Head of the Research Section at the Guyana Sugar Corporation, Gavin Ramnarine said that his company has made a commitment to assist the schools in any way possible and has no problem offering equipment or analysis.
A representative from BACIF, Rondell Alli, was also present and commended the initiative. The company, he said, was glad to help Zeeburg as well as to assist in the upcoming competition.
The Sagicor Visionaries Challenge was organised by Sagicor in collaboration with the Caribbean Science Fund and the Caribbean Examinations Council. It saw students from schools in 10 different countries coming up with a sustainable and innovative solution to a challenge affecting their school or community using STEM.
Zeeburg Secondary will now be going to Florida for the STEM Ambassador Programme where they will present their project which won the prize for best project plan and design at the regional level in Barbados on April 13.
