Prize Giving Ceremony: Rodrigues Science Challenge 2014 And Closing Ceremony: National Science Week 2014

 

 

Speech - Prize Giving Ceremony: Rodrigues Science Challenge 2014

And

Closing Ceremony: National Science Week 2014

·       Mr Louis Serge Clair, Chief Commissioner of Rodrigues

·       Distinguished Guests

·       Ladies and Gentlemen

·       Dear Students

·       Good morning and thank you for inviting me to today’s event. 

Let me first of all extend a warm welcome to all of you present for the Prize Giving Ceremony of the Rodrigues Science Challenge 2014 and the Closing Ceremony of the National Science Week.

 A very special welcome to all the young students present as this is an activity that is being organized specially for you as we want to sensitize you on the importance of Science and Technology in our everyday life.

 Ladies and gentlemen

Science is a broad and intriguing subject. Despite many discoveries in Science, there is still much that is unknown. Scientists are still looking for answers to many unsolved mysteries through experimentation and investigation. Scientists are incurably curious people. Like scientists, our students too need to constantly seek answers to questions that they have. Each time our students ask question about how something works, or why things happen in a certain way, they are already embarking on a quest for scientific knowledge.

 The Republic needs the critical mass of professionals with the scientific background in order to meet its future socio economic challenges.

The Concept of the National Science Week

 The idea of the National Science Week is to bring Science and Technology to the doorsteps of every citizens of the republic. This is because Science and Technology is essential in our everyday life and for our welfare.

An important aspect of the Science Week is to show the practical importance of Science and Technology in various sectors of the Mauritian economy. You have had the opportunity to discover together the exhibition that has been mounted by various stakeholders in the field of Science and Technology.

A series of interactive and eye catching science demonstrations was also scheduled to explain science concepts and their applications in our daily life, in a fun manner.  During the show, audience involvement, observation and critical thinking were encouraged.

I am also given to understand that a series of sensitising talks by the various stakeholders present here today were organised during theprogramme.

By pulling all these resources together we wish to attain the following objectives:

a)    communicate science and technology in the community;

b)    promote public understanding of science issues and

c)     supplement the school curriculum in a non-formal, interactive and fun way. 

Rodrigues Science Challenge 2014

The Rodrigues Science Challenge 2014 aims at providing students with an opportunity to investigate issues related to Science and Technology using the scientific method and to understand scientific investigation and to enhance their written and verbal communication.

The Rodrigues Science Challenge project integrates, into one functional activity, virtually all of the skills and arts that are usually taught separately. When brought to completion, the project is an amalgamation of reading, writing, spelling, grammar, maths, statistics, ethics, logic, critical thinking, computer science, graphic arts, scientific methodology, self-learning of one or more technical fields, public speaking and defence in front of expert judges. It is, perhaps, one of the rare educational activities that allow students to teach themselves, to take from the established information what they need to discover something exciting and new, and to identify and choose the tools that they need to conduct and conclude their project. As a result, an ordinary student is motivated to become an excellent student, and an excellent student to become a scholar.

Dear students

I wish to congratulate you all for your participation in this project. The supervising teachers have had a very important role in this process. So let me extend my warmest congratulations to the teachers and rectors for providing the necessary support to their students.

End note

Let me conclude by thanking the Chief Commissioner of Rodrigues for his unflinching support for all the activities that my ministry have been organising in Rodrigues. I am grateful for his presence to day which testifies his interest in the promotion of Science and Technology to the students and the population at large.

Let me also thank the Commission of Education for the invaluable support and collaboration extended to the Rajiv Gandhi Science Centre in carrying out all these science activities.

Thank you for your attention.