Jakarta - An array of science and math projects are currently on display at an upmarket shopping mall in South Jakarta as part of a national competition for elementary school teachers and students.
Hundreds of participants from far-flung regions like Central Aceh, North Sumatra and the Eastern Indonesian island of West Nusa Tenggara to the slopes of Mount Sumbing in Wonosobo, Central Java, are participating in this year‘s Indonesian Science Festival.
The Education Ministry-sponsored event was officially opened Monday by Suyanto, the Director General of the Management of Primary and Secondary Education, at Pondok Indah Mall II in South Jakarta.
The competition, which has been held annually for the past five years, is part of a continuing effort to raise interest in science among elementary schoolchildren.
The use of recycled products dominated the science projects that succeeded to the finals. They will remain on show until Sunday, when the winners will be announced.
Festival coordinator Elvira said Tuesday the competition was being held to show students that science can be easy and fun.
"It is also to encourage talented students who are keen science learners to solidify their understanding by creative experimenting such as using recycled items," she said.
"Not all schools in the country are equipped with laboratories, so we need to keep the students‘ and teachers‘ learning spirit high despite the constraints."
According to Elvira, there has been a steady increase in participants since the competition first started in 2003.
Last year‘s competition saw 12 science project proposals from students, while this year there are 95 teams of two.
Elvira said most of the students and teachers who participated in the competition came from remote regencies, which had resulted in some creative entries as they had to make do with whatever was at their disposal.
"We have seen participants using rubber bands, empty cosmetic bottles and discarded furniture to demonstrate their understanding of scientific concepts," she said.
One of the finalists is elementary school teacher Ambar Widianingtyas from Pati, Central Java. Ambar used colorfully decorated empty shampoo and body lotion bottles as bowling pins to teach first graders the basics of subtraction in math.
"Teachers need to keep coming up with new things to attract their students, especially the younger ones and keep them engaged in learning," said Ambar, who has 16 years of teaching experience.
"That is how I came up with the bowling game aimed at facilitating their grasp of mathematics concepts in a simple and fun manner," she added.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com (16 Agustus 2007)
