NGO mobilises girls to embrace science courses

Sciences

By Sani Idris

 An NGO, Showcasing Her Excellence Initiative, has commenced the sensitisation of girls in secondary schools in Kaduna State to embrace science courses.

The NGO initiated the event to mark the 2020 international day of women and girls in science, with the theme ‘Investment of Women and Girls on Science for Inclusive Green Growth’.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 146 girls from eight secondary schools participated in the sensitisation campaign on Tuesday in Kaduna.

Executive Director of the NGO, Maryam Junaidu, said that the initiative was designed to encourage young girls in junior secondary classes to choose science related courses.

According to Junaidu, sciences had become a male dominated field, in spite of its huge potentials.

She said that girls also have the potentials to delve into the various fields of science so as to contribute to the growth and development of the country.

“We are using the ‘Catch Them Young’ strategy to encourage them at a very young and delicate period to make wise decisions on what to study in secondary school and subsequently sustain it to higher institutions as a path to specialization.

“This program is meant to sensitise them on what to choose, either science or art, but we encourage them more to choose sciences, we hope at the end, their mindset of science being a hard and tedious course would change,” she said.

NAN reports that specialists from medical sciences, engineering and other specialisation shared their experiences with the students.

Mrs Antonia Asuku, a pediatric nurse from Kawo General Hospital Kaduna, advised parents to encourage their children to study what they have passion for especially those who desire to study sciences.

She said that science allows students to explore their world and discover new things, adding that it was an active field containing activities such as hands-on labs and experiments.

“Teachers should ensure that they are familiar with the working, scientifically, designing and making objectives for their class level and implement programmes that would enable their pupils to achieve these objectives.”

Asuku also advised teachers in the middle and senior classes to allow students design and conduct their own investigations and to complete open-ended problem-solving tasks.(NAN)

SA/MZA
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Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

Sani Idris

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