A two-day science exhibition, aimed at attracting the interest of students in the subject at Carlo Diacono Girls’ Junior Lyceum in Zejtun, and which was attended by more than 200 Form I and Form II students who took part in hands-on science activities, came to an end yesterday.
The exhibition was funded by the National Curriculum Council and organised by Mr R Zahra, Ms M Cannataci and Ms R Saliba, who said that the purpose was to expose young students to various scientific activities run by professional scientists from different areas, including industrial chemistry, nutrition, engineering, architecture, physiotherapy, veterinary science, medicine and art restoration.
The activity was also intended to boost the students’ interest and thus encourage more female pupils to pursue careers in science.
The students were organised into small working groups so that they could participate individually in the activities, thus making them more meaningful and motivating.
The participants also watched films with underlying scientific themes and also took part in quizzes through which they could reflect on important issues related to science.
Carlo Diacono Girls’ Junior Lyceum has also been promoting the learning of science through a Science Club funded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The club was run by Mr H. Gauci every Friday and included experiments and thought-provoking science activities.
Education Minister Louis Galea, who toured the exhibition, said the government and the educational sector as a whole were taking on the challenge of increasing the number of students who take up science subjects, not simply for the sake of having more students in this area, but because they believed that, in the future, economic growth and prosperity would greatly depend on capacity in the sector.
In a short period of time various initiatives have been taken and they had already started to register positive trends. The number of students following science-related subjects was steadily on the increase, particularly following the incentives the government had put in place through the maintenance grants scheme.
Dr Galea said it was essential to give Form I and II students all the necessary information they needed in order to make an informed decision about their future careers, and giving them a hands-on opportunity was a great way of stimulating their interest.
He called on parents, in particular, to become well-informed about science subjects and the future career opportunities available, as parents have a considerable influence on their sons’ and daughters’ decisions.