A Change is Needed

There is lot to learn in our environment

Science has always been a subject taught in classrooms in the Maldives , though students were given rare opportunities to go outdoors to explore.There is certainly a lot to learn from the environment in the Maldives. Yet all that is ignored even in the lower grades. Teachers have to take the responsibility for this practice to some extent but it is not right to solely blame teachers. At policy level some change is required to improve the way science is taught in the Maldives.

One of the drawbacks of the system is that the country has been following a foreign curriculum for secondary and higher secondary level in the Maldives. Moreover,other than training teachers to teach certain subjects in the field of science, the Maldives College of Higher Education which will soon be part of the National University of the Maldives is not able to offer courses in science.A large number of Maldivian students seek the aid of universities abroad to pursue degrees in Botany, Zoology,Bio-technology, Chemical Engineering, Medicine etc.

However, with the new development we have to hope for better opportunities in the field of science for Maldivian students.

 

Do we know enough about the creatures in our seas?

Thus while the university takes real good shape and while they plan and organize to offer new courses in science for higher education, let us try our best to modify our style of teaching.Moreover, let us try to skillfully utilize the space we have to alter the curriculum to make the science lessons for lower grades more productive and practical.

We still may not be having a great say in policy making but let us motivate our teachers to prepare scientists for future through the foreign curriculum we follow. The Maldivian community is less concerned about the method of teaching and practical outcome of teaching such as creating a new scientist in our country. They are more concerned about the grades students show in the secondary and higher secondary foreign exam students sit for.

However, those who are in the education sector should be aware for the type of  outcomes we truly need, in the 21st century. Lessons in science , though we may call it environmental studies for some levels need to be taught in environments which provide students with ample examples and students' practical involvement is vital to help them learn what they aught to learn. Learning from only books within four walls of the classroom is primitive for the current era.

Thus let try our best to motivate teachers and others in the education sector in the Maldives to adopt this urgently required change to mold the future generation to foster development of the field of science in the Maldives.