International Day of Women and Girls in Science: German Consulate, Mumbai funds STEM centres in rural schools

Mumbai: With the aim of extending learning opportunities to girls and boys studying in the rural districts of Maharashtra, the German Consulate General in Mumbai has funded STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) centres in two government-aided schools—Saraswati Kanya Vidhyalaya in Pangaon and Zilla Parishad School in Bitergaon. Child Rights and You (CRY) was the partner and executing NGO. 

The STEM centres have been outfitted with installations and apparatus to provide students with a fun space or laboratory. The Consulate and CRY have also ensured that the concepts explained there are in line with the student’s curriculum and that there is something for every student, based on the standard that he or she is at. The medium of instruction on the apparatus is the local regional language, Marathi, making it easy for the children to better grasp and understand concepts. 

Why STEM 

India produces one of the highest numbers of scientists and engineers. The education sector is currently looking beyond smart classrooms towards hands-on learning experiences and  STEM enhancements in pedagogy. While this is still an upcoming focus area in developed schools and cities, it continues to remain a distant reality in India's semi-rural and rural educational landscape. Due to the lack of awareness and exposure, children interested in the sciences often end up dropping out of the science stream, thereby missing out on career opportunities in a world that are increasingly seeking STEM skill sets. 

"We visited the schools recently and really appreciated what we saw. The STEM centres seem to have been an immediate hit with the students and faculty. Most of the students mentioned that they spend at least an hour daily at the centre. Some claimed that it helped break the monotony of studying from textbooks and that never-ending paragraphs of type and words could now be explored beyond pages, first-hand and in real-time," said Victor Jagielski of the German Consulate Mumbai.  

“We wanted to put a special lens on girls in STEM, and were happy to learn that both schools were co-educational and that the retention of girl students was increasing every year," stated Marja Einig, Deputy Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany.