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.
