HEALTHY competitions among students help create awareness and instil a love for the subjects that lead to research, inquiry and generation of new ideas. In order to create a love for science subjects and enrich students, last week National Museum of Science and Technology (NMST) organised Annual Science Competition 2013, while Pak-Turk International Schools and Colleges organised Inter-School Mathematics Olympiad (ISMO). Both the national level competitions were participated in by hundreds of students from across Pakistan.

The four-day annual science competition, which has become extremely popular among students of schools and colleges in the country for the past quarter a century, features three contests – essay writing competition, science quiz competition and science innovation (models) competition.

In the essay writing competition, the NMST had asked the general public to write an essay on “Does education help to understand society?” while students, divided in three categories, were asked to write on the subject: “If there was no moon of Earth……………?” The science museum received total 969 essays including 78 essays in open category from across the country.

In class-I-VIII students’ category, Fatima Afreen, Maria Laraib and Kiran Sardar bagged top three positions, respectively. In class-IX and X category, the first three prizes were respectively won by Hassan Suleman, Inza Naeem and Mehak Raza. Similarly, in class-XI and above category, Muhammad Suhair Khan, Momina Shafqat and Shanza Khan bagged top three positions.

In open category, Muhammad Sadiq from Bahawalnagar bagged first position, Ramsha Saleem from Jhang Saddar got second and Farhat Jehan from Attock stood third.

The science quiz competition held for class-IX and X was participated in by 36 teams from leading educational institutions from all over the country. According to results, the team from Society Public School for Girls, Mughalpura, Lahore, earned first position. The Crescent Model Higher Secondary School, Shadman Colony, Lahore, Society Public School for Boys, Mughalpura, Lahore, bagged second and third positions, respectively. All the participants of final round of the competition were given books as a token of participation, while top position holder teams received prizes from the museum.

In the science innovation competition, some 639 boys and girls from 57 schools, colleges and universities participated in their own categories and displayed 328 science models.

In the boys colleges and universities’ category, science model “Android Remote Control Car” by Bilal, Muhammad Mujtaba and Muhammad Farhan from Punjab College of Science, Canal Bank, Lahore, clinched the first prize. The second prize was won by “Vehicle at Speed Bumps” by Umar Hashmir of Pakistan Navy Engineering College, NUST, Karachi, while “Intelligent Green House” model by Shees Haider, Abu Bakar, Sikandar Maqsood, Sulman Munawar and Usman Mushtaq from Ahmad Hassan Polytechnic Dev Samaj Road, Sant Nagar, Lahore, was selected for third prize.

Four special prizes were also given to models “Electric Cycle”, “Solar Panel made by Junk”, “Small Absorption Refrigerator” and “Architecture for Extreme Conditions”.

In boys schools category, science models “Gravity Based Transport System” and “Road Energy” by students from The Trust School System, Thokhar Niaz Beg, clinched first and second prizes respectively. And a model “Solar Oxygen Production Plant” by students from Divisional Public School, Township, Lahore, secured third prize.

Four special prizes were given to models – “Steam Boat”, “Sustainable and Renewable Energy”, “Hydro Electricity” and “Pre-Square of Earthquake”.

In the girls colleges and universities’ category, science model “Environmental Friendly Mosquito Trap” by Hina Farooq from Lahore College for Women University, earned first prize. The model “Electromagnetic Crane’ by students from Sophia College of Arts and Sciences secured second position, while “Production of Coloured Cotton” by Ammara Ahad and Ambreen Gul from Punjab University obtained third position. A science model “Water level” was won by students from Queen Mary College for Women.

In girls schools category, science model “Waste Water Treatment Plant” by students from Eden High School, Gulbahar Town, Lahore, bagged first prize. Model “Seimograph” by Nehal Sheikh from Unique High School, Wahdat Road, Lahore, obtained second prize and “Safety Alarm” by Kashaf Tariq from Government Girls High School, Chamra Mandi, Lahore, clinched third prize. Four models -- “Launching Bottle Rocket”, “Seasons”, “Hydraulic Lifter” and Night Driving Helmet” -- were also given special prizes.

Speaking to Dawn, the students, who had brought their science models at the competition, said they had enjoyed and learnt a lot. “Not only we displayed our model and explained to visitors, we also developed our own knowledge and ideas by visiting other models at the exhibition,” said Asad Rashid from Sialkot.

Meanwhile, over 11,000 students from over 700 schools participated in the ninth National ISMO on Sunday. The students studying at Grade-V to VIII in public and private schools participated in the ISMO test at 17 examination centres in nine cities of Pakistan, simultaneously. The Olympiad was aimed at instilling interest in mathematics, which is considered as the mother of all sciences.

The first, second and third position holders in each class will get cash prizes of Rs50,000, Rs40,000 and Rs30,000, respectively. The Pak-Turk has also announced that the top 20 position holders in each city will also get attractive prizes.

The top position holder of class-VIII category will be awarded with the title of “Al-Khwarzmi of Pakistan” which will remain with that student for one year. The ISMO results will be announced on Dec 6, 2013.

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PAKISTAN Girl Guide Association (PGGA) Chief Commissioner Nafisa Skindar Malhi says the Girl Guides need patronage of the government for the opportunities of availing quality education, health and other basic requirements.

Ms Malhi was speaking at a closing ceremony of a five-day Guide Service Campaign based on a theme “Today’s Education, Better Future” at its camp site in Karbath, Bedian Road, Lahore.

During the campaign, the girl guides performed community service to create awareness about girls and family education, prepared greeting cards and posters for the theme of communication, used useless items to make a dent in the unbridled increase in poverty and ground spices with hands. As many as 15 girl guides also presented different events in the camp.

Ms Malhi demanded Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan to provide PGGA delegation with an opportunity to discuss the projects of the association. She said funds allocated for its Murree Training Centre had yet not been released due to which the project was being delayed.

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The United Kingdom is helping 278 bright but deprived students in Pakistan to get quality higher education this year at the Lahore University of Management and Sciences (Lums).

These students are pursuing degrees in subjects such as business, law, engineering and economics.

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Adam Thomson says this initiative of helping bright but deprived students is aimed at not only benefiting their lives, but also those around them to come out of the vicious cycle of poverty.

He says education is the single-most important factor that can transform Pakistan’s future. — mansoormalik173@hotmail.com