ALKHOBAR: Who would have imagined that the recently concluded science fair at Bayan Gardens School would be so appropriately themed? Their Public Health Awareness Program on Infectious Diseases opened just before the H1N1 outbreak. The school’s director, Yasmeen Husain, explained that since the science fair is planned months in advance, Bayan Gardens had no inkling of the coming H1N1 epidemic.
However, the public health program certainly imparted valuable information on how to fight the spread of infectious diseases, whether viral or bacterial in origin.
“Much of the prevention of any infectious disease is simple hygiene,” said Husain. “Whether it’s hand washing or proper food preparation, the transmission of many diseases can be greatly reduced if people understand the basics of healthy living.”
The science fair focused on infectious diseases that occur in the Middle East. Each grade level at the school was assigned one or more diseases to research. After the students understood the diseases well, they created science fair exhibits and models that would impart such knowledge to others.
“We invited the families of our students to attend the science fair. We hosted visits from students at other Eastern Province schools so they could to view the exhibition and learn from it. To involve the Eastern Province community, we created banners to hang along the roadways near our school to disseminate key information about the prevention of some of the more common infectious diseases,” stated Husain. “Knowledge is power and the more knowledge people have about fighting infectious diseases the greater the chance these illnesses can be halted and the misery they cause can be prevented.”
The science fair involved every department at Bayan Gardens. Science teachers helped students understand the biology behind the infectious diseases and even led students in performing a dissection of a cow’s lung to show how respiratory diseases spread and the damage they do. Language teachers gave the students guidance in creating reports about the diseases and sharing their feelings about illness.
The art and computer science departments played integral roles in the design of the exhibits, with an emphasis on the use of recycled or reusable materials in the construction of the various displays. Math teachers concentrated on topics commonly found in the field of epidemiology. The local medical community added value too, with presentations at the school and the students invited on a tour of a hospital laboratory.
“Yes, we wanted to hold a science fair, but there were many other lessons for our students to learn as part of putting on this event,” remarked Husain. “Teamwork is often very important in reaching any goal. So is time management and creativity. These days there is also a strong emphasis on considering the impact on the environment from human actions. We also think about the skills our students will require in later life. The ability to give a presentation and speak before a group with confidence is essential. Writing concise, factually correct reports is vital. Our science fair offered many opportunities for our students to achieve personal growth while benefiting others, and we believe this is what an ideal learning environment should offer.”
Of course, fun was on the agenda, as well as learning. The students created a mascot for each infectious disease, for example “Maldito” for the bacteria that causes Malta fever or brucellosis. The theme of the tuberculosis exhibit was “Be TeeBee Free” after the mascot buzzing around the tuberculosis information site. Preschool and kindergarten students learned songs about the prevention of chicken pox and measles.
A goat was brought to the school’s courtyard to shed light on the transmission of Malta fever. The idea behind the levity was to bring attention to the facts about the disease, rather than stigmatizing the illnesses or creating any sort of fear mongering.
“Out of 450 parents of students at our school, only two telephoned to express concerns about their children learning about infectious diseases,” said Husain. “We explain that we were dealing with the topic in a sensitive manner, designed to cope with the psychology of all our students, 502 total, in levels preschool through grade nine. Those parents were satisfied with our strategy and we had an absolutely overwhelming turnout at the science fair, having to open for additional days to accommodate everyone.”
There were several impressive points about the science fair for which Bayan Gardens must be commended. The students did all the presentations about the diseases in both Arabic and English. The complex scientific vocabulary slipped off the youngsters’ tongues as easily in one language as the other.
Bayan Gardens’ curriculum, which offers bilingual education from the earliest classroom days, is clearly producing students with superior abilities.
Additionally, the school did not shy away from asking students to learn about some of the taboo illnesses in Saudi Arabia. AIDS and hepatitis were researched by students in grades six and nine respectively. There was no attempt to hide or tone down information about the primary vectors for the transmission of these infections. The student presentations about these illnesses used scientifically correct terminology in both English and Arabic and the girls were even able to field questions about the diseases without shyness.
“What you don’t know can be harmful. We discovered that our students already are well aware of relationships between men and women. The Internet and satellite television regularly present such themes as drug abuse and premarital relationships. When we do not provide students with information about the transmission of AIDS and hepatitis in a straight forward manner, we do them a disservice,” Husain advised.
“We approached the prevention of these infections from the Islamic perspective and we emphasized the importance of premarital testing. We also held a blood drive at the school to stress that it is not possible to be infected with these diseases through donating blood.”
The science fair with its public health awareness program has now concluded. It is certain that the information it provided on halting the spread of infectious diseases will be an advantage to all the participants throughout their lives. It is a pity that such a program hasn’t been held in every school in Saudi Arabia to ensure that such education is offered to all the citizens and residents of the Kingdom for the benefit of the nation.
