Daily Times

Hyderabad: It is very alarming to read that Sindh and FATA lag behind the rest of the country as far as science education is concerned, revealed a report released by Alif Ailan on Powering Pakistan for the 21st century: The State of Math & Science in Schools. The study reveals that score of science education. No proper watch and supervision to assess the science education at school levels.

In the rural areas and small towns schools lacked science laboratories and modern science equipment, hence learning of the students of secondary and higher secondary classes in science subjects are poor. Newly-appointed teachers lack capacity and understanding of modern science education techniques and methods to increase learning outcome of girl students in science subjects. Lack of science-related competitions among students in the secondary schools was also witnessed. In the district education’s sector plan, to improve learning outcome of students is also a key target. This situation is worst in girl’s high schools so question is that how girls could learn science education and compete with the children /students of the private schools too. The schools surveyed have been found lacking or insufficient and poor conditions of science laboratories, old equipment, and poor learning environment of science subjects. Thus the learning outcome of the students is also poor in science subjects.

Out of 11 girls secondary schools in Tando Muhammad Khan only 2 has a science laboratory while others have no any such spaces for students enrolled in ninth and tenth classes. The 2 schools where science laboratory were available had old equipment. The survey was conducted by Sindh Community Foundation-a non-government organization working on secondary girl’s education in district. Science teachers complained not having equipment, material for science.

Javed Hussain head of Sindh Community Foundation while talking with Business Recorder said that surveyed schools were found with lacking of the science laborites and modern science equipment, so the learning outcome of the students of class from 9th and 10th on science subjects are very poor as they don’t exercise experiments of biology, chemistry and physic subjects. He further added that this situation is not separate from other districts where status of science education is also poor. Aisha Agha Program Officer Sindh Community Foundation said that that newly appointed teachers have potential to improve science education but they have lacking of capacity and understanding modern’s science education techniques and methods to increased learning outcome of girl’s students in science subjects. She further said that that teachers use old teaching methods of science subjects and their approach does not reflect the modern scientific thinking, there is need to develop capacity of teachers in modern teaching methods to teach science subjects with the needs of the time. Mr. Hussain further added that keeping the situation in view SCF has implemented project Promoting Science Education through Upgrading Science Laboratories and Learning Environment in Girls Secondary Schools with support of Planning and Development Board, Government of Sindh under its Community Development Program-CDP. The project will upgraded 2 and establish 7 science laboratories in 9 girls high schools of district Tando Muhammad Khan where is there was not science lab earlier . He further shared that under the project 22 female science teachers will be trained through 4 Days training on modern teaching methods of science and will run science computation among girl’s students and science fairs. He said that project will result in improved learning outcomes among girls o science subjects and will be contributing towards science education in province. He demanded that number of science teachers need to increase in girls’ schools and science laboratories must be established in each high school where it is very essential otherwise girls in rural areas would not be able to compete with other students who live in urban centers.

Published in Daily Times, January 21^st 2018.