Making science lessons fun for Abu Dhabi pupils

Engaging workshops about robotics and biology for 15,000 students across the emirate.

Abu Dhabi // Students across Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbia are gaining a passion for science thanks to a series of interactive workshops.

The events will be held at 100 schools as part of the Lema? (why?) programme run by the Technology Development Committee (TDC), to help inspire pupils aged 7 to 11.

The workshops cover aspects of biology and robotics and hope to cast off science's dull and dusty image.

The teachers are all experts in their fields from the Edinburgh International Science Festival and the Abu Dhabi Science Festival, able to teach in English or Arabic.

Although aiming to be fun and engaging for the 15,000 children involved, the programme hopes to complement schools' existing science teaching. Among the first to be visited was Abu Dhabi's Khadijah Al Kubra school, where the head of faculty, Janice Martens, was impressed by what she saw.

"Some of the students were the most engaged I've ever seen them," she said. "They really enjoyed it.

"The fact it was taught in Arabic was great. Science is such a vocabulary-driven subject so it was perfect for the students.

"If we could have something like this for all our classes it would be amazing. It gives them a different viewpoint, which is so important."

Ahmed Saeed Al Calily, director general of TDC, said science, technology and innovation were important to the growth of the emirate.

"Lema? is a further demonstration of our commitment to making science popular among the youth of Abu Dhabi, and our programme will help generate lasting, positive scientific experiences."

The first phase began on April 28. Phase two will start in September.