IISERs, IITs To Mentor Schools To Ensure Students Do Not Lag Behind: Prakash Javadekar

Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar has claimed that schools located near the campuses of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) will be mentored to make sure that students are doing well in Mathematics and science-related subjects, and not lagging behind in them.

Importance of maths and science highlighted

Javadekar highlighted how important these subjects are in the 21st century and said that it should be ensured that students do not lag behind in these subjects from primary school itself. He further said that mathematics is a subject that can be taught in an interesting and entertaining way, and that to teach science and maths, only simple ideas are needed. Hence, it should be started in primary classes and the teachers play a big role, reported The Indian Express.

“We have decided that IITs, IISERs, large and good universities will mentor 10-15 nearby schools and ensure that students in those schools are given proper training in science and maths so they do not lag behind (in these subjects),” he said.

Javadekar spoke on the sidelines of the exhibitions being inaugurated as a part of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit at the Science City. The exhibitions are on futuristic technology and on the future of exploration of space by the American Museum of Natural History. According to him, to nurture the interest of primary school students in maths and science, pedagogy is needed.

He also said that according to a study, the moment students lag behind in these two subjects, they keep falling further behind.

Modi government appreciated

The Modi government has taken several steps to promote the culture of innovation in India, he said. It has set up incubation and innovation centres, allowed startups to run from rooms of hostels, offered PM Research Fellows Rs 1 lakh per month and also launched IMPRINT India initiative.

Indian institutes and universities are places where 100 research projects are going on, and so far 2,000 Atal Tinkering Labs have been set up. 3,000 such facilities will be established across the country. In three years, participation in Smart India Hackathon has grown to 1.5 lakh from 40,000.

“On the basis of all this, I am sure our investment in research will grow, and an environment of science, engineering, technology, mathematics, research and attitude of innovation will start in schools…We are encouraging the tendency (among students) to explore solutions to the society’s problems,” Javadekar said.

Stressing on the importance of the subjects, Javadekar had to say that the method of teaching and the way of explaining the subjects is of great relevance.

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