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— By Chinar Banga

When the rest of the world was still waking up to the cosmos, India had already mapped the celestial bodies with remarkable precision. Our temples had a geometric plan with reference to the position of stars; Varahamihira wrote astronomical treatises, and Aryabhatta calculated planetary motion without a telescope. Despite the rich history, astronomy in contemporary Indian schools is considered merely a hobby of the elite.

How The Problem Is Expanding

Space camps are few and far between, or few winners of certain Olympiads have access to this science. We are clearly ignoring and depriving the masses of a subject that fosters curiosity, inquiry, critical thinking, and nurtures a scientific temper. It will indeed fuel one’s journey towards STEM.

The problem here is ingrained. While the NCF and NEP clearly emphasise 'experiential learning', we see slower adoption by schools, teachers not trained enough, a lack of support and parents who prioritise marks and traditional career paths over broader exploration. Parents would want their children to be in a STEM career, but are yet to recognise stargazing as a meaningful learning experience.

How The World Is Making Space Part Of School

We all celebrate ISRO missions, but often forget that it all started, maybe in a school or home courtyard, with stargazing. While most Indian students graduate without even looking at a telescope, the world is way ahead. China has included satellite making and space technology as part of its secondary and even primary education.

Finland, on the other hand, integrates Astronomy as a part of Environmental Education in early years and at later stages within interdisciplinary science education frameworks. They use it to teach logic and creativity. Even NASA funds a lot of school-based astronomy projects.

Fuelling Future-Ready Thinkers

Are we truly equipping Indian students to grow as both skilled technicians and innovative thinkers? A thought worth reflecting on. The global space economy is expected to reach one trillion dollars by 2040. If we continue to produce students who focus solely on exams and score above 90%, but fail to nurture a sense of curiosity and critical thinking, we risk limiting their potential. True education is when they look at the world with wonder or rebel against established theories, learning to question, explore, and reimagine the world around them.

Currently, in India, only a few organisations, such as SPACE India and Agastya Foundation, run mobile planetariums and sky observation labs in select areas. Atal Tinkering Labs have also started some experiments in space science, but they are just a drop in the cosmic ocean. However, if we have the will, we can make the journey from stargazing to a STEM career accessible, rather than aspirational.

Simple Steps To Spark A Lifelong Interest

We can begin by training teachers in hands-on astronomy. Neither a PhD nor a science degree is essential to study Astronomy. Every teacher can be trained. Utilising technology to leverage apps, simulations, international space projects, exchanging ideas and partnering with astronomy clubs can help students. School rooftops can be used to host star-gazing sessions.

A visit to Jantar Mantar, which showcases the workings of sundials, can be a first step for a student to enter the world of wonder. Even in the foundation and primary years, visual demonstrations and storytelling sessions can spark curiosity to learn more. The onus of bringing back astronomy early in education lies with each one of us. Let tracing constellations become the map to tracing a future in STEM!

(The author is the Head of Senior Years at Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad.)

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