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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Science and mathematics educators awarded for sparking young minds

7 January 1998

Three educators will receive Commonwealth awards on Monday, 11 January 1999 for simple but effective classroom projects to spark the interests of young people in science, technology and mathematics.

By using everyday objects in developing countries such as paper, old light bulbs and even cow dung, the winners have demonstrated that expensive equipment isn't needed to inspire the minds of young people in science or mathematics, nor to teach simple principles such as geometry and gravity.

The awards are being given by the Commonwealth Association of Science, Technology and Mathematics Educators (CASTME), a small non-governmental organisation based in London which aims to promote innovation among scientific educators.

"We don't want people to say 'I don't have any test tubes so I can't teach science,'" says Kabir Shaikh, Director of Education with the Bournemouth Borough Council and one of the judges of the scheme. Mr Shaikh says that despite the absence of equipment in the developing world, there are still many ways to teach science and technology.

The winners are:

Mr Manjibhal Bhavanbhal Prajapati of India for an innovative project which capitalises on children's interest in toys. Mr Prajapati recycles old light bulbs to make magnifying glasses, paraffin lamps and hourglasses which he then uses to explain scientific principles;

Mr S Ratnakumar of Seychelles, for his teaching how to make biogas plants for recycled waste such as old vegetables and cow manure. Biogas can then be used as cooking fuel which is much cleaner than more traditional methods such as burning wood. It can also make communities more self-sufficient;

Dr Lalt Kishore of India for his creative use of paper, which is readily available in developing countries, to make paper spirals, spinning wheels and air screws to demonstrate such things as convection currents, weights and gravity. Dr Kishore uses these items to educate teacher trainers.

In addition, two commendations have been awarded to:

Mrs Elizabeth Rasekoala of the UK, whose Ishango Science Clubs in Manchester help to promote science and technology amongst West Indian children, a group which traditionally underachieves in science and technology;

Mrs P Veersraghavan of India for her classroom project to teach different methods of germinating seeds and thereby revive different methods of agriculture and achieve better productivity from plants.

At the awards ceremony, Mathematics Professor Margaret Brown of King's College London will deliver an address on the topic: 'How Can We Improve the Effectiveness of Mathematics Teaching?'. Professor Brown is Director of the Leverhulme Numeracy Research Project which is adapting new teaching techniques to improve British examination results in mathematics.

Note to Editors:
The CASTME award ceremony will take place at Quadrant House, 55-58 Pall Mall, London SW1, on Monday, 11 January 1999 at 5 p.m.

Issued by the Information and Public Affairs Division, Commonwealth Secretariat,
Marlborough House,
Pall Mall,
London SW1Y 5HX,
United Kingdom.
Tel: 0207-839 3411;
Fax: 0207-839 9081;
Telex: 27678

99/02 7 January 1998

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