CHENNAI: The new National Educational Policy proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi focuses on thinking out of the box and provides out-of-the-classroom learning.
Keeping this in their mind, the 1973 batch of Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School wanted to help the students with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in the ever-evolving field of science and technology.
“During our school days, the school used to have practicals when it was not even a part of the educational system. We had Physics and Chemistry labs. It was useful for us in higher education. So we wanted to contribute something for the students to face the future in a similar way,” said Ganapathy Sivaprakash, chartered accountant and an alumnus of the school.
STEM encompasses, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths and for the students to be a step ahead in this technology the alumni of the ‘73 batch helped the school establish a STEM lab on the campus.
“MCC school is a pioneer in the fields of robotics, drones and other technological advancement programmes. This STEM lab is a testament to the unlimited potential and boundless opportunities that lie ahead. Embrace this facility with an open arm and explore its possibilities and never be afraid of a big dream,” said GJ Manohar, headmaster, of MCC School, at the inauguration of the STEM lab on the campus on Monday.
The inauguration was presided over by Dr HV Hande, former health minister, of Tamil Nadu, and his son, Dr Krishna Hande, plastic surgeon and an alumnus of the school. The lab was funded by a charitable trust formed by eight students of the ‘73 batch. The friends met at a reunion marking 50 years of completing schooling. Dr Krishna pointed out that in the coming years, the lab will be known by the batch of ‘73 and not by one particular person because it was a joint effort.
In the lab, built with a fund of Rs 10 lakh, students from classes 6 to 12 can learn robotics, drone technology, 3D printing, artificial intelligence and digital science after school hours. “New Education Policy is about technology, we don’t have robotics or drone technology in the syllabus but we are going to teach them extra,” said Jebadoss Dinakaran, a teacher.
The batch believes that through the establishment of the lab, the creativity of the students of this generation will be translated into action and a product. Sharing a message for the students, Dr HV Hande said, “A stage has come when none can stem the tide of STEM, where stem means stop.”
The STEM lab allows students to gain hands-on practical training and the skills required to succeed in the 21st-century job market. “Everything is theoretically impossible until it is done and this is the lab that will play an important role in converting theory into practice for the students in the future,” said Sivaprakash.
The lab is facilitated to occupy 25 students at a time and has one full-time worker at the lab along with science teachers coming in to teach. Technological partner Edutech conducted a two-day session for around 25 teachers to learn the technology to teach the students.