Twenty-one school students, invited by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) to participate in Sakura Programme 2024, were flagged off by Smt. Archana Sharma Awasthi, Joint Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, Government of India and Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Director, NCERT in a ceremony at CIET-NCERT organised by DoSEL. The event was also attended by Mr. Kemmochi Yukio, Manager, JST, Japan; Dr. Amarendra Prasad Behera, Joint Director, CIET-NCERT; and officials from DoSEL-MoE. These students from India, along with students from other countries, will be participating in the Sakura Science Programme 2024, to be held from 16-22 June 2024. 

To develop the intellectual horizon and scientific exploration among young learners, the JST with the DoSEL has been implementing the Sakura Science High School Programme under the Sakura Science Programme (SSP) since 2014. The students are invited under the programme for short-term visits to Japan, giving them the opportunity to experience Japan’s cutting-edge science and technology as well as its culture.

 

India participated in the program for the first time in April 2016. So far 532 students and 83 supervisors have visited Japan under this programme. The last batch visited Japan in December 2023.

 

These 21 students (6 boys and 15 girls) of the current batch are from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Residential Schools of 6 States (Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh) and Kendriya Vidyalayas from across the country.

 

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, while emphasizing the importance of Curriculum and Pedagogy in Schools, endorses that "Learning should be Holistic, Integrated, Enjoyable and Engaging in itself". Also, the NEP 2020 states that in all stages, experiential learning will be adopted as standard pedagogy within each subject and with explorations of relations among different subjects. It is in this context that educational trips and excursions to various places of importance in terms of historical, cultural, social and technological development are of paramount importance. Japan is a developed nation and a friendly country. Due to its technological advancements, it is also a favourite destination for educational exposure. Visiting a country like Japan always provides an enriching experience and an opportunity to explore its innovative practices.

 

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