LAOAG CITY, March 7 – It’s learning science and math the fun way through the Department of Science and Technology’s explorer bus which rolls on today in Ilocos Norte for a three-day mobile science and math education.
Aptly called the “Science Explorer” bus, the mobile facility will visit public schools in Bacarra town and the cities of Laoag and Batac.
The bus is equipped with audio-visual materials, interactive exhibits and laptop gadgets carrying instructional materials that are designed to facilitate learning among students.
Ruby Cristobal of the DOST’s Science Education Institute said the country’s first of-a-kind interactive learning facility will go around the Philippines to provide the youth a taste of what science is all about.
“We would like to introduce science as a way of life. It is a key to progress and future. Students will see how an ideal science class should be”, Cristobal said, noting the dearth of science laboratory equipment in schools.
The mobile school will visit three public high schools and nine grade schools in three sites. It will hold several sessions lasting two hours each and will accommodate 30 students each period.
Aris Reynold Cajigal, the provincial government’s education consultant said, more students will get the chance to experience the school on wheels.
“We intend to break the students’ fear of science and math,” he said.
Ilocos Norte is the first stop of the science mobile school outside of Metro Manila after the DOST launched it in October last year to close the gap in science laboratories in the elementary and secondary schools.
Based on DOST records, only 4,060 high schools maintain science laboratories out of 5,359 public schools with a ratio of 1,325:1 pupils to science laboratories.
The DOST encourages school heads to call its office and book the science explorer bus in their areas by calling the SEI office at 837-1925. (Cristina Arzadon)
