British High Commission Honours Chevening Science Competition Winners

isaac aregbesola
Mar, Fri, 2024

General News

British High Commission honours Chevening Science Competition winners

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By Mark Longyen

The British High Commission on Thursday in Abuja held a prize giving ceremony for its Chevening Nigeria Science Literacy Competition participants.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Chevening Science Literacy Competition aims to promote scientific literacy among students aged 14 to 17.

The best four schools that won the competition and prizes were Dove Land High School; Al-Ansar Centre for Comprehensive Education, Gwarimpa; Federal Government Girls College, Bwari; and School for the Gifted, Gwagwalada, in that order.

Speaking at the event, Gill Lever, British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, lauded the winners of the competition for their hard work and dedication, which qualified them to be given the prizes.

Lever, who said the Chevening scholarship had become impactful in Nigeria, emphasized the need for more girls to be involved in science education promotion in Nigeria.

The envoy explained that the purpose of the project was to foster science education development and promote a better understanding of science through culturally relevant teaching methods.

She said: “I am very proud to be with you all today. Your hard work and dedication have paid off as you have emerged as winners of the Chevening Alumni’s Science Literacy Project for Nigerian senior secondary schools.

“This ceremony serves as a reminder of the collective strength that emerges when we unite in the pursuit of knowledge.

“Through projects such as this, we hope to continue to support you to lay the foundation for a brighter and more innovative future.”

Also speaking, Mr Lucky Nonyelum, the Project Manager, Chevening Alumni, explained that the event aimed to celebrate the achievements of the participants and promote the spirit of scientific inquiry and learning.

He said that the primary goal of the Chevening Science Competition Abuja was to elevate scientific literacy among senior secondary school students in Abuja, Nigeria.

Nonyelum defined scientific literacy as the ability for students to use science to explore opportunities within their environment, predict outcomes, interpret specific results, and contribute to technological development.

According to him, the Abuja competition commenced with a science teacher training on Feb. 1, 2023, with over 50 teachers from 27 different schools and four schools were selected to be given prizes for the collaborative test.

He said: “We also awarded prizes for the Chevening Science Competition Innovative proposal. Schools competed in three different categories, including Health, Sustainable Energy, and Agricultural Advancement.

“This initiative seeks to establish a direct connection between science concepts and real-world problem-solving, fostering a deep appreciation for the relevance of science in students’ daily lives.

“The science subjects include Physics, Chemistry and Biology. The project addresses this issue by illuminating the practical applications of science, AI making it more accessible and pertinent to the students’ immediate environment.

He noted that in the educational landscape of Nigeria, there was a significant challenge in engaging students with the science curriculum due to its perceived abstraction.

“By enhancing scientific literacy, students can develop a profound understanding of how scientific principles can be employed to tackle real-world challenges.

“The long-term vision is to develop a complementary curriculum that aligns with the Nigerian science curriculum, breaking down topics into elements addressing the country’s specific problems,” he added.

Nonyelum who bagged a first class degree in Physics from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, did his masters degree in International Education and Development at the University of Sussex, England.

Mr Matthias Erekuso, a biology teacher, who won a prize and whose school, Doveland International Schools, Abuja, came first in the competition, with all its three participating students winning prizes, appreciated the programme’s organizers for the gesture.

Miss Chioke Chiamaka, a prize winning student of the Federal Government Girls College, FGGC, Bwari, Abuja, also thanked the organizers of the event for the honor and recognition which she and her colleagues were given.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

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