By Ruby R. Cristobal, MediaCore, SEI

Sineskwela, a science television program for children won the Youth Prize (Prix de Jeunesse) at the recent 20^th Television Science Programme Festival held in France.   The Youth Prize is the grand award among the four awards in the competition that had 20 entries from different countries.  

The John Red directed award-winning episodes focus on how the once pristine Pasig River has deteriorated over time.  The episodes also show children observing how human activities contribute to the river's decline. 

The episodes also demonstrate how children can be involved in addressing environmental problems by letting them participate in determining how polluted the river can be.  Towards the end, they get to realize the benefits of a biologically active river and come up with practical ideas to help Pasig River regain its natural condition. 

Description of the Pasig River episodes appears in a 400-page catalogue of the 20^th International Scientific Audio Visual Conference. 

The ABS-CBN Foundation produces Sineskwela as part of its educational media programs with technical support from the Science Education Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, and the Department of Education.

Sineskwela is curriculum-based and caters to Grades 2-6 public elementary school children.  It is shown in the science class in each grade level at least once a week as prescribed by DepEd. 

A 1996 study revealed that the program contributes to better science achievement level of target students by providing fun and exciting ways to learn science beyond the confines of the classroom.  

With the implementation of the Basic Education Curriculum, additional support is needed to fund the production of new episodes.  Private companies and non–government organizations donated television sets to thousands of schools in Metro Manila and in the provinces so that students could view the program.  

Sineskwela has received numerous awards and recognition as a private sector-initiated project that answered the call for media involvement in education. DOST provides technical inputs in the science content of the episodes covering the various stages of pre-production, production and post-production. 

Projects like Sineskwela strengthen science learning by providing the medium by which natural and physical processes can be presented in captured images and animations woven in a story format.   The production and telecast of local science educational television programs is one of the projects listed in the government's S&T Education Plan to improve the quality of science education in the country.