MS Swaminathan Research Foundation has launched an initiative to enhance science interests among fisherfolk students in the Mayiladuthurai district. It is called 'Every Child, Every Scientist' and has been launched in Poompuhar in its regional centre — MSSRF Fish for All Research and Training Centre.
Dr Madhura Swaminathan, the Chairperson of MSSRF said, "We are launching the initiative to enhance the scientific temper in a young mind. It can nurture their interest in becoming researchers and technologists. We are extending our services from Chennai to Poompuhar to reach out to the students in rural areas and fisherfolk hamlets."
According to MSSRF, it has identified around 16 schools in the coastal villages in the Mayiladuthurai district to train its students. The students studying Classes VI to VIII will be brought to the centre during working hours and will be educated in the classroom and the laboratories of the Poompuhar Centre.
"Every child has a good appetite to learn interesting things about science. The regular school curriculum is insufficient to feed them and extract the best results. We use modern tools and technology to teach them and train them to produce the desired results and enhance their knowledge," Dr GN Hariharan, Executive Director of MSSRF told The New Indian Express.
MSSRF said it would seek necessary permission from the school education department to bring the students to their centre and train them during school working hours.
There will be 25 students per batch. They will be trained for about four hours a day which includes a lunch break. Each batch will be trained for 15 days. It is targeting around 750 students a year.
Dr S Velvizhi, Head of MSSRF Fish for All Research and Training Centre in Poompuhar said, "We are planning to train the students in the fundamentals of fisheries technologies, coastal agriculture, earth science, biology, soil science and microbiology. We will expose them to our facilities and our work areas like portable hatchery, fish processing units, solar fish dryer, artificial reef, and integrated farm management. We will also teach them about various scientific lab equipment." Dr S Velvizhi added that MSSRF would train the science teachers from each school for a day to continue the enhancement of science knowledge in students in their respective schools after they complete the training.
