Maharashtra: Zilla Parishad schools in Solapur put up 'science walls' to inculcate scientific temper in children

In an attempt to inculcate scientific temper in children, 'science walls' have been put up in over 200 Zilla Parishad schools in Karmala tehsil of Maharashtra's Solapur district, a district official said on February 2.

Photographs of famous scientists and inventors have been hung on these walls and their birth anniversaries are being celebrated, he said. Photographs of Greek mathematician Archimedes, inventor Nikola Tesla, physicist Ernest Rutherford, physicist and meteorologist John Dalton, Dr S Chandrasekhar, Madame Marie Curie, CV Raman, Newton, Luis Pascher, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, among others have been put up on these science walls, it was stated.

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"The objective of the project is to inculcate scientific temper in children at an early age so that they develop a liking and interest in science," said Manoj Raut, block development officer of Karmala tehsil, who is the brain behind the project. Elaborating on the initiative, Raut said that they selected 28 scientists who were a part of the school syllabus and decided to celebrate their birth anniversaries on the lines of celebrations held for historical figures and freedom fighters.

The initiative covers students from Classes 1 to 7, it was stated. Solapur Zilla Parishad CEO Dilip Swami had started a "clean school, beautiful school" project in the district and as a part of the initiative, he introduced “science walls” in 227 schools in Karmala tehsil, the official said.

"We asked 227 schools in Karmala tehsil to make science walls in their school premises with photos of these curated scientists and mention their inventions through graphics and writings," the official said. A particular scientist's birth anniversary is celebrated with talks about him, his inventions, live experiments and a documentary so that students get full knowledge about him or her, he said.

"Apart from this, students are also encouraged to write essays or talk about that scientist on the day," Raut said. A logo has been made using the photograph of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and will be put up on the wall in every school, he said.

To encourage healthy competition, Raut said that a local NGO has announced the 'Best Science Wall' competition and the winning schools will be given awards on February 28.

The walls are being erected by schools through crowdfunding, he said. "Parents and locals who like the idea have come forward to help make these walls and provide necessary equipment to schools," the official added.

How are schools reacting?
Speaking about the initiative, Anil Yadav, the headmaster of a Zilla Parishad school in Umrad, said the project took off from December 2021 and they have celebrated birth anniversaries of seven scientists and inventors so far.

"With this project, we can see that the children are getting interested in science activities and showing their involvement in the project," Yadav said.