By Sanjay Mathrani
Karachi’s NED University hosted the first-ever two-day Sindh Science Festival on Thursday with the massive participation of several hundred students from different districts of the province.
The students and their teachers from different schools of Karachi and other districts of Sindh participated in the festival and displayed unique science models that were keenly observed and praised by visitors who thronged the venue on the first day.
Sindh’s Minister for Education and Literacy Department, Syed Sardar Ali Shah, formally inaugurated the festival and praised the efforts of the organizers, including the CEO of Thar Education Alliance (TEA), Partab Shivani, and his team members, representatives of different organizations, and the participating students and their teachers.
“We cannot go ahead without imparting modern science education and inculcating the habits of the experimenting the things around in our kids,” he said and added that children should be given quality education besides access to modern scientific equipment at school to keep abreast with the fast-changing world of inventions and discoveries.
Minister Shah highlighted that STEM education is the key to success and to keep up with the world, and urged the students to take more of an interest in such subjects.
He said that the authorities are trying to introduce the process of a licensing system among Sindh’s teachers after properly training them. “I want the teachers of the province to be expected for their sacred profession so that they could impart the quality education among the students,” he explained.
Minister Shah also mentioned that Sindhis were the pioneers of the ‘universe’s first great invention’ — the wheel — and thus taught people to move from one place to another. He said that the subcontinent was making strides in inventions and building civilized human settlements while the western world was still in darkness.
He continued that events such as the science festival go a long way in creating competitiveness and interest for STEM education among the students of the province, especially those from backward and remote districts who have never had the opportunities to showcase their talents at the right forums.
He said that after successfully organizing wonderful events in Thar, the officials of the alliance had been willing to organize the festival in Karachi. The minister had welcomed the decision and encouraged Shivani and his team to proceed with the noble cause of providing students with a unique opportunity to showcase their talents in a big city.
“Such positive steps will help us all to formulate the plans to promote such more activities at least at the district level,” Minister Shah said.
He and his department had already decided to establish two science museums in Karachi and Larkana, and science laboratories in schools and colleges across the province. He said that a number of government schools are being run without science laboratories and the Government of Sindh will soon establish them.
“I am trying my best to focus on the little but important things in the education sector, including co-curricular activities, besides advocating for the curriculum in regional languages,” the Minister remarked and hoped that his sincere efforts for the improvement and the betterment of the education system will soon bear fruit.
He said that he believes in the quality of the education rather than quantity, and affirmed that while the teachers recruited during past eras were a great liability to the department, they had severely lacked the information about science and the modern studies being carried out to further promote science and the related subjects.
Shah said that with the establishment of science museums in Karachi and Larkana in the first phase in educating students about the importance of science, mathematics, and other related subjects. “We must not limit ourselves to our great past and rich civilization and keep teaching pupils about our past culture and customs but now we have to focus all our energies on such subjects which could enable students to compete at the national and then at the international level,” he added.
The minister credited the Thari students with setting a trend to enthusiastically participate in such activities by making wonderful science models, and urged the participants of the event to organize science festivals at the district level across the province. He said that he and the officials of his department would extend all possible assistance in such healthy activities.
He also visited the stalls set up by the students and expressed a keen interest in their performances while praising their efforts and enthusiasm.
Mosharraf Zaidi, an eminent writer, journalist, and educationalist, declared during a panel discussion that limiting the scope of education to a mere few subjects is very detrimental to the mental growth of students. He stressed that education could be used as the best tool to bring real change in society. He also pointed out that the nations of the world have made great advancements and achieved various milestones in different areas but the situation in Pakistan is still grim. He said that quality education could make a real difference and steer the people of the current dismal situations.
The CEO of the TEA said that he and his team had received a huge response for organizing such events in Tharparkar, Thatta, and other districts, and he was advised to carry out the plan in a city like Karachi. He also thanked the educationalists, representatives of various organizations, officials of education departments, and others for attending the different events of the festival.
He said that despite the limited resources, commitment and sincere efforts could be instrumental achieve the great targets of educating the youth. Shivani also urged the high-pus of the provincial government to allocate special funds for the organizing of such activities in every region to foster competitiveness among the students.
Maleha Khan, the Chief Program Manager of the Malala Fund said that it is trying to improve the existing education system. She said that the Malala Fund has a special focus on the education of girls and hoped that girls from the backward areas will get space to shine during such events.
Khan praised the organizers for the two-day event and said that the showcased models by both the girls and boys were wonderful. “Such students should be given more space and opportunities to showcase their talent and interest in such subjects,” she remarked.
Huma Bukhari, the Co-chairperson of Newports Institute of Communication and Economics, stated that it is the fundamental right of every student to get access to modern education while STEM education is key in the current conditions. She also lauded the efforts of the TEA team for organizing such events.
Yaqub Pechi, the Chairman of TEA, said that it is trying to give opportunities to the students of the remote and backward areas to shine at the national and international levels, and all this is impossible without teamwork. He said that it is making little effort but hopes to get positive results when the youths of these areas are given the much-needed platforms to present their work.
The Chief Advisor of the Japan International Cooperation Agency  (JICA), Cheho Ohashi, stressed the quality of education with special attention on science. She said that only trained teachers could help impart the quality of education, and her organization has been at the forefront in supporting such activities.
Some of the other speakers on the panel were Adil Darvesh, Roshan Bukhari, Mukesh Nand, Iqbal Sheikh, Prem Sagir, Jibran Jamshed, and Junaid Dahar, who also spoke at the sessions moderated by the people from different institutes.
