KOCHI: Catch them young! The slogan appears to have taken effect in Kerala in a proactive manner. Gone are the days when learning was limited to mugging up lessons in the textbooks or notes given by teachers. Today, the students, especially those in the high school and the higher secondary sections, are being encouraged to take up research.
A big step towards this has been initiated under the STREAM Ecosystem, an innovative educational initiative implemented in Kerala’s public education system to foster research aptitude and an innovation mindset, along with developing 21st century skills among students. The project is being implemented in collaboration with Samagra Shiksha Kerala and Cusat as part of the STARS project.
As a part of the project, Kutty Gaveshakakkoottam or Littler Researchers’ groups were created in six districts, namely Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kannur and Malappuram, in the state. “It is a big initiative. Six districts, 175 projects, 5,000+ students, 100+ researchers, 100+ experts and 250+ teachers.
The initiative is a structured research programme under the STREAM ecosystem. It provides students with an opportunity to study socially relevant issues connected to their curriculum. Participants complete their research projects under the mentorship of researchers, teachers and experts,” said B Shaji, Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK), state programme coordinator.
Highlighting some of the works, another official said, “Njan Shakthan: Little Researchers in Agali Fight Against Sickle Cell Anaemia, Are Our Micro-Filters Safe? (Study on increasing kidney diseases in changing living conditions), Is the Use of Sanitary Napkins Scientific? were some topics that students conducted detailed studies on.”
According to the SSK state programme coordinator, some of these studies, like the one on the prevalence of sickle cell anaemia by the 29 students from five schools under Agali Block Resource Centre (BRC), proved to be an eye-opener for the authorities, who then swung into action and initiated remedial measures.
“The research project ‘Njan Shakthan’, was carried out with support from ITDP, the health department, forest department, ASHA workers, and Aspirational Block Fellows. Blood samples from 4,991 students across Agali, Sholayur, and Pudur panchayats were tested. The study found that 621 children had symptoms of sickle cell anaemia, while 27 students were confirmed positive,” said the SSK official.
The project enabled officials to spread awareness among the people about the importance of including iron-rich leafy vegetables, pulses, spinach, and jaggery in their diet. “The study was a great success since it helped remove the fear of blood transfusion and increase interest in scientific treatment methods among the tribals. By ensuring continuous monitoring and support for children affected by the disease through health clubs in schools, this initiative has laid a strong foundation for Attappadi to overcome health challenges,” he added.
This was one of the 25 research works that were shortlisted for the Kutty Slam programme, which mimicked the actual PhD thesis defence. At Kutti Slam, held at Cusat, students presented the inferences and conclusions of their research in an open defence format before a public audience that included students, teachers, scholars, and subject experts. “The point to be taken note of is the fact that all these groups were mentored by experts in the area of their topic of study,” said an official.