A first-of-its-kind research and innovation center at a primary school level recently inaugurated by Dr. B Janardhan Reddy, IAS, Education Secretary, at The Blue Blocks school in Tellapur, Hyderabad.
The Blue Blocks school
The Blue Blocks Drone Research and Innovation Centre will be the hub for learning and research, design modelling and applications for Drones. The making of Drones require the knowledge of a variety of sciences such as aeronautics, mechanical engineering, biomimicry and design thinking. This application-based learning and research-oriented thinking will provide students with the ability to Think, Question, Innovate and Create, which is the need of the hour in our education system.
Blue Blocks Drone Research and Innovation Centre, Hyderabad
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Reddy commented, “We are facing a learning crisis in India. What we need is skill-based and experiential learning in technology. It is exciting to see this being taught in children as young as in 1st standard. This will bring about a complete education and will help our children become global citizens."
It’s been a strongly felt sentiment amongst educators, parents and the industry that our current schooling system does not provide the environment to explore and research. Students graduate from school without having the foundations of being skills ready. This initiative will nurture a research-oriented mindset through Observation, Exploration, 3d modelling, Experimenting, Innovating and Building, which is the basis of the Montessori curriculum. Drone research will have applications in Aerial photography and mapping, Shipping & delivery, Disaster management, Agriculture, Weather forecast, Wildlife monitoring to name just a few.
Ranked amongst the leading schools in Hyderabad and one of the few offering a pure Montessori-based education curriculum, the 11-year old Blue Blocks school in Hyderabad, has since its inception, offered a strong and alternative method of learning that involves self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play.
According to Mr. Pavan Goyal, Founder of the school, “Children, between the ages of 6 and 12, are most impressionable and ready to accept challenges and possibilities. We are proud to introduce an innovative initiative to provide our students, the opportunity to learn using a research-based methodology. We hope this will help young minds to come up with game-changing innovations and inventions, which can be patented.”
A report by the World Economic Forum notes that as countries like India becoming centers for innovation, would benefit from increasing the readiness of their people to adopt new technology.