Guwahati, May 15: Science is fun and it is the future.
Keeping this in mind, 23 schools in Assam will be a part of the Atal Tinkering Lab project, which will offer students facilities for practical knowledge on science, engineering, arts, mathematics and design with the aid of robotics and 3D printer technology.
Based on Niti Aayog guidelines, such labs will be established in 457 schools in the country initially, including the 23 in Assam.
The objective of this project is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning and physical computing.
Each school will get an initial fund of Rs 20 lakh.
These labs will have educational and learning kits and equipment for science, electronics, robotics, open-source micro-controller boards, sensors, 3D printers and computers.
Under the project, facilities like meeting rooms and videoconferencing will be set up. Regional and national-level competitions, exhibitions, workshops on problem solving, designing and fabrication of products and lectures will also be held.
"Under this project, students can experiment what they learn in the classroom. The project will promote STEAM'D concept in education system, which is an integration of science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and design. By using this concept, students can apply the formula and theory they study in textbooks in these labs," said Nabin Sarma of Skyrim Innovation, which is the nodal agency for setting up these labs in Assam.
Sarma said installation of equipment in these schools would start later this month. One special teacher will be appointed in every school for the lab. Students from classes II to XII will benefit from the project.
"Students learn best when encouraged to construct their own knowledge. This inter-disciplinary approach of learning will help them benefit from the project. For this, an integrated curriculum has been prepared, which aims to create a mindset of being able to think about application and possibilities," Sarma said.
