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Govt focuses on science subjects
2008-05-06 10:07:34
By Correspondent Nasser Kigwangallah
The government has said it was committed to strengthening science education and stimulate students and teachers\' interest in science subjects at all levels.
Addressing a one-day Space Education Workshop in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Deputy Minister for Education and Vocational Training,Gaudencia Kabaka, said there was a need to redress this situation and encourage more students to pursue science subjects.
She said the aim of the workshop was to make students and teachers aware of the need to learn about space exploration.
``If studies on space exploration were conducted, I am sure that poverty among our people could be alleviated and steer our nation towards sustainable development and prosperity,`` she stressed.
Kabaka added that there was a dire need therefore to have qualified pool of scientists and physicians deeply rooted in science subjects.
Kabaka noted that teachers formed an integral part of the sensitisation initiative since they had to be taken on board to sustain training in the area.
She hoped that the Galileo Teacher Training programme, which is one of the Global Cornerstone projects of the International Year of Astronomy, would create a large pool of experts who would catalyse basic astronomy training and benefit thousands of students.
The deputy minister said space science could be integrated into science curricula since astronomy and space science provided interesting and challenging examples for a clearer understanding of many concepts and topics in science.
She remarked: ``In schools we learn about how the Sun controls the weather and in secondary schools, science students get an opportunity to learn the basic ideas about the night sky and the solar system.``
According to her, that however was not sufficient enough to understand fully what these stars and planets were, calling for a clear formal framework of education in space science that could allow for full understanding of the science of planets and stars.
She said the upcoming International Year of Astronomy would provide yet another catalyst that would increase the awareness of the Universe and all that exists in the vast space that surrounds mankind for its benefit.
Yolanda Berenguer, the coordinator of the Unesco Science Education Programme, later donated six telescopes, worth 36m/- to the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.
Presenting the equipment to the deputy minister, Yolanda urged the government to enhance science to the youths so that the country could be self sufficient in scientists.
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