- Science labs regularly travel to smaller districts; exhibitions are set up in schools, colleges with little to no adequate science facilities
In what could be dubbed as a welcoming move, the government has decided to add ten more mobile science labs into the fleet of nine ‘Mobile Science Talent Farming Labs’ under Science Talent Farming Scheme (STFS) of Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF).
Talking to Pakistan Today, PSF Principal Scientific Officer Mahboob Khan said that, in this regard, the PC-1 has been approved, and soon, ten more mobile science labs would be added to the existing nine mobile labs’ fleet aimed at providing maximum educational facilities and opportunities to the students.
Science Caravan is a Mobile Science Exhibition—initiated in 1988-89—that has been designed to increase public awareness about science and to motivate the younger generation towards the study of science through a display of attractive scientific models, charts and exhibits, and by arranging scientific film shows on topics of interest to common man.
In order to strengthen the existing science caravans, the old caravan trucks have been re-fabricated and transformed into ‘Mobile Science Talent Farming Labs’ to provide lab facility to rural areas’ schools, in order to improve the science education standards.
The new STFS lab is equipped with the latest equipment, panel exhibits having photographs and write-ups, equipment, inflatable planetarium, documentaries, microscopes, computers, laser holograms and working models, reflecting various phenomena of physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology.
For presentation and scientific videos, it can accommodate 15-20 students at a time, which are equipped with solar power and are fully air conditioned.
He said that, at present, nine Science Caravan Units are in operation, two in each province and one in federal capital, so with the addition of ten more units, the long-deprived remote areas, such as Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), would also be covered—because preference will be given to the remote and neglected rural areas.
He said that science labs regularly travel to smaller districts, and exhibitions are set up in schools and colleges with little to no adequate science facilities, especially in far flung rural areas, in order to inculcate the curiosity and love for science among the children.
The condition of science labs in most of the schools is pathetic, whereas most of the schools in the rural areas lack this vital part of science education, he added.
Starlab Planetarium is one of the most interesting and informative parts of the exhibition, through which students are briefed about the solar system, galaxies, constellation and astronomy.
He said that arranging planetarium shows to explain the astronomical concepts to inculcate in the minds of students the idea of solving everyday problems by application of science and technology is crucial.
Instead of arranging an exhibition in the rooms of the schools, now the students can visit and can get the same facilities inside the lab, he mentioned.
Besides, the PSF Mobile Science lab is also carrying practical/experimental kits for SSC students, according to their curriculum, along with Long Management System (LMS) for a better understanding of practical work for the students.
He said that a unit covers an average 600 schools per annum and thousands of students take benefits annually.
Presently, one unit each is located in Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan, Sukkur, Tandojam, Quetta, Jaffarabad, Peshawar and Karak.
Mahboob said that the main purpose of the scheme is to produce best scientists in near future; hence, popular science lectures on various topics are being arranged in different schools to educate the students regarding various issues at the initial stage of education.