Focus on learning science for primary school kids

Te Taumata's Renee Gillies said the kits would be contextualised to Rotorua. Photo / Richard Robinson

An exciting, interactive tool designed to help teach science to primary-aged pupils is being developed for Rotorua schools.

Te Taumata o Ngati Whakaue Iho Ake have developed Matakokiri Science Kits and plan to launch the programme in Rotorua schools in term one next year.

The kits contain experiments relating to a number of science topics and can be loaned out to schools for a week at a time. The concept was pitched to educators at the Rotorua Principal's Association meeting yesterday.

Te Taumata's Renee Gillies said the kits would be contextualised to Rotorua. "That means when you pick up a water science kit, it has information and experiments relating to Rotorua's lakes.

"When we launch the programme we hope to have at least 18 kits available to our schools and that will have the potential to reach 47 schools, and their students, teachers and communities."

The kits follow the success of Matakokiri Wananga, a programme supporting students to engage in the sciences by providing them with opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have.

The programme is delivered during the second week of school holidays and requires whanau to be present for a portion of the week as well.

"We want to increase the number and quality of students engaged in science at secondary school in the Rotorua district. To do this, we need to capture the interests of primary-aged children and instil the fundamental knowledge to allow them to continue with the subject," Ms Gillies said.

The association's new president, Ngakuru School principal Grant Henderson, spoke to the Rotorua Daily Post about what he hoped to achieve in the role.

"I want to shed some light on all the great things we are doing in the education sector in Rotorua and build on the relationships with our secondary school, kura whare and kura kaupapa colleagues so we can create an environment in which our children can succeed."