Stalin launches ‘VanavilMandram’ to promote STEM education among students

Chennai, Nov 28:In a first of its kind initiative, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Monday launched “Vanavil Mandram” to encourage scientific
thinking and enhance students’ interest in Science and mathematics and for promoting STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) education.
Stalin inaugurated the programme at the Government Adi Dravidar Welfare Girls Higher Secondary School at Pappakurichi in Trichy. The scheme was launched in all government schools across the State from today.In his address, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said as many as 710 STEM experts have been trained by educationists and they would visit schools to conduct experiments and make students understand how and why on the principles of science and mathematics.
He also said the programme would help students to discover the knowledge within them. The Vanavil Mandram concept was introduced to educate the government
school students from Classes 6 to 8 and to make them enjoy mathematics and science and learn with experiments. A total of 25 lakh students from as many as 13,210 government schools would be benefited by the programme for which a sum of Rs 25 crore has been allocated by the government.
The School Education Departmen t said all 13,210 government middle, high and higher secondary schools would form the STEM clubs for students of Classes 6 to 8. Around 12,000 teachers have expressed interest in this initiative. They have come forward to share topics that are relatively hard for students
to follow in class and show how they can be made more interesting with simple experiments. Subject experts were also roped in. “To mark the beginning of this initiative, teachers can demonstrate simple experiments in class. Every school has been allocated Rs 1,200 initially to buy materials for these experiments,” it said.
Schools have been encouraged to ensure that these experiments are demonstrated in classrooms and based on the lessons forming part of the syllabus.
The Chief Minister also flagged off 100 mobile laboratories and interacted with the students and teachers.