SHILLONG: The state is facing a tough time to meet the required number of professionals in the field of basic science said State Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma.
Stating that there is a huge gap in demand and supply in the field of basic science, Dr Mukul said that knowledge in basic science not only make one a scientist but it is a subject which is applicable in our day to day life as well.”We need to strengthen and find out means how to attract students to pursue this course,” he said.
Lamenting over the decrease in the number of students to pursue basic science courses Dr Sangma said that there were numerous factors that leads to this decline.
“Young students often get influence by their friends and often opted subjects that their friends opted,” he said adding that it is therefore required that teachers should teach the subject in such a way to attract students to pursue with the course.
Highlighting that there is a need to strengthen education especially as it is the back bone to development State Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma informed, “The ministry of education has sanctioned 100 million dollar programme in the first phase meant exclusively to upscale the standard of education especially in the field of science,” Mukul said.Further, he said as of now this programme now aims at providing technology to higher secondary students only.
The chief minister while giving the inaugural address of the International Seminar at Shillong College said that the state government is providing more allocations in terms of education and has focused on providing every schemes in terms of education but however the magnitude required to achieve the goals has yet not been acquired.
In order to meet the magnitude Dr Mukul Sangma said that the government has planned to blend technology with the system of education. Admitting that with the course of time the number of students pursuing basic science courses are decreasing State Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma stressed on blending technology with methodology teaching adding that it is high time to blend technology with studying and teaching.
“The government will provide students with tablet computers sophisticated with contents so that they will be equip with proper knowledge to set them prepared for entrance and competitive examination,” Dr Sangma added. While mentioning that the state is facing short of quality teachers, the Chief Minister informed that the teacher’s training programme would be not just to train teachers but to equip them with the knowledge that they should be able to motivate students.
Pointing that the pass percentage of students at the secondary level has decrease to a greater extent in the current year of 2012-13 especially in rural areas in some districts of the state , Dr Sangma informed that residential schools furnished with the best quality education will be set up.
Besides, Dr Sangma also informed that the government is trying to upgrade education in the state by providing sophisticated infrastructure as per the requirement of time.
Additional Chief Secratry PBO Warjri pointed out on the reasons that deter students from pursuing their courses in basic science.
Citing those reasons and challenges faced by students in pursuing the course Warjri said that science education has become prescriptive, teachers lacking confidence to teach and lack of carrying out practicals.
Therefore Warjri said that there is a need to bring back the inclination to the students so that they will be attracted to pursue basic science courses.
Meanwhile, Dr KD Ramsiej Principal of Shillong college urged upon the government to strengthen the education in the state by bringing in a mechanism to address to these problems and challenges.
It was also learnt that it is a day to be remembered for the students of Shillong College that for the first time an International Seminar on “Attracting Best Talents in Basic Science” which is as part of the year long Golden Jubilee celebration of Teaching Science in Shillong College was oragnised at the college auditorium on Wednesday.
The seminar aims at deliberating at length on the need to attract students to pursue their courses in basic science.(SP News)
