To coincide with this year’s International Education Day, the theme of which is AI and education, the CEO and Spokesperson of the Board at Siemens Stiftung, Dr. Nina Smidt, penned an article which highlights the power of education to equip individuals and communities to navigate, understand and influence technological advancement. Dr. Smidt’s recent visit to India for the launch of a STEM education project allowed her to see the full breadth and scope of these projects and the long-term transformative impacts they can have on children and young people in India.
My scope of work as the CEO of Siemens Stiftung, an internationally operative foundation, involves working with young students around the world. I was in New Delhi a few months ago to launch our international STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education project, STEM Education for Innovation: Experimento India.
With the world’s largest youth population, India leads global rankings in STEM skills and is a frontrunner in AI readiness. However, given the scale of its population, limited accessibility and quality of education are major challenges which adversely impact the learning outcomes of India’s children and youth. According to the Indian National Achievement Survey 2021, the average performance of Grade 8 students at the national level in Science and Mathematics is a mere 250 and 255 respectively (in scaled scores out of 500). The pandemic has further exacerbated these learning gaps, particularly in science and mathematics.
The Experimento India project takes a holistic approach to addressing these challenges by introducing a multisectoral and interdisciplinary model that reaches students, especially from low-income communities. Siemens India is supporting Experimento India by integrating it with their STEM education project, Jigyaasa, which operates in government-run schools across eight Indian states.
Harnessing educational justice
Jigyaasa is a Hindi word which means curiosity and the spirit to learn new things. Though the term is new to me, it has relevance in every language and culture. It’s a clear imperative, particularly given a global context characterised by radical transformations in climate, technology and globalisation, that students are given the opportunity to learn and develop rational and scientific approaches to problem-solving. These techniques are ideally rooted in STEM knowledge and nurture relevant 21st century skills. These are Siemens India’s core objectives with the Jigyaasa project.
I saw this exploratory spirit first-hand among young school girls when I attended the opening of a new computer laboratory at a school located on the periphery of the Indian national capital. Coming from humble backgrounds, the girls were brimming with aspirations to shine as future teachers, scientists, astronauts, and entrepreneurs. They are aware that further developing their competencies in computers and sciences will help break free of gender shackles and open many new avenues for them to thrive in the growing digital economy.
The new computer labs are a gateway to discovery and a chance to put students in direct contact with high-quality learning materials in the form of Open Educational Resources (OER). Siemens Stiftung’s award-winning international Open Educational Resources on STEM subjects offer a wide range of multimedia learning and training materials on pressing issues like climate change, artificial intelligence, and handling digital tools. The learning resources are contextualised to address the diverse needs of students in multiple Indian languages. The Indian NGO Pratham Educational Foundation is implementing the project by co-creating and adapting the learning resources to suit the diverse Indian milieus with the support of local academic experts, teachers, parents and communities. Importantly, they are designed to be accessible even in areas with limited internet connectivity, ensuring that no student is left behind.
Without inclusive and equitable quality education for all, gender equality, and economic and sustainable growth cannot be achieved. The new project strengthens STEM pedagogical practices in line with the recommendations of India’s National Education Policy 2020, along with fostering a conducive learning environment in schools and communities. It bridges the digital divide by providing free digital learning materials. Students learn best in their mother tongues, through phenomena that are close to home and rooted in their realities. Therefore, the teaching and learning resources offered as a part of Experimento India are not merely translated but have been developed in a way that genuinely rings true to the students’ surroundings.
Nurturing responsible citizenship
During my visit to India, I also had the opportunity to attend a science fair where students showcased innovative projects tackling local challenges such as waste management and renewable energy. Afsar Ali, a Grade 10 student presented his renewable energy project and cited the inspiration behind his product. “Where I live there’s a lot of waste and no proper waste management systems. We don’t even have an electricity supply 24/7. I assist my father in a small auto repair shop and love to work with tools and create new devices using the things around me. As a part of my science lessons, I learned the importance of renewable energy and I’m very excited to present this sustainable electricity generation system using human and animal waste”, Afsar Ali explained. An engineer and rapper in the making, Ali aspires to improve the living conditions of his family by pursuing a degree in engineering.
Education opens the gateway to achieving other Sustainable Development Goals. When students like Afsar Ali are educated they have the opportunities, support and skills needed end the cycle of poverty. The innovative STEM education projects we offer with local and international partners in Europe, Africa, Latin America – and now India – demonstrate the ways that quality education can foster educational justice and encourages our next generation to become resilient and responsible citizens.
Let us continue to explore how education can unlock the potential of young minds and drive global progress together!
Watch the video to hear the many voices behind the Experimento India project, or click here to learn more about the project as a whole.
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