Budding researchers put their merits on display

Tanim Asjad

All of them, students from schools, studying between classes seven and ten, and hailing from different parts of the country, gathered in Dhaka to present their research papers or concept notes. Though sound puzzling, their dedication was evident as they expressed various thoughts creatively, addressing multiple socio-economic challenges and offering solutions to existing problems in education and health. This collective effort made the event vibrant and inspiring.

Organised by Chintar Chash (Cultivating the Thoughts), a Dhaka-based voluntary research organisation, this was the tenth annual convention of the young or budding researchers. The organisation's decade-long commitment to stimulating interest among school-level students in analytical thinking and research is commendable. Their workshops on research methodology, conducted across the country, have been instrumental in developing the research capacity of school students, equipping them with the tools and confidence to participate in research work. 

 If school-going boys and girls can get a clear idea of why research is critical and also how to do research, they will grow up with a broader mind. By conducting research at the school level, students will also develop their skills in in-depth research on different matters. Moreover, the training will contribute to improving their academic performance. Being a creative extra-curricular activity, research is also a matter of pleasure. 

Under the programme, school students are encouraged to write both the research and concept papers focusing on problems people face in their daily lives, or issues related to basic human needs like food, clothing, shelter, education, healthcare, etc. They are also allowed to focus on international situations that cause concern, or any other problem they feel necessary to fix. Besides identifying and writing about problems, they also need to propose solutions or approaches to the problems. Moreover, students are also asked to outline plans or frameworks for inventing a scientific device or project in the concept papers.

This time, in the tenth conference, to be precise, young researchers presented a wide range of topics, like the seasoned researchers. Although some of the issues are not suitable for school students due to their complexity, allowing them to think and write about these matters adds real value. For instance, when three students of grade 9 at Dinajpur Schools of Liberators presented their paper titled 'Finding the possible causes of congenital heart disease among the people of Dinajpur, Bangladesh,' it may sound astonishing. Nevertheless, it also reflects the students' in-depth thinking and concern about the growing risk of inherited heart disease. Again, three grade-10 students from Notre Dame School and College in Sri Mangal researched the sports skills of 9th and 10th-grade students in Sri Mangal. It is a field-level research providing some good insights applicable to many others as many schools in the country do not have adequate space to offer sports facilities for students.  

The core aspect of the entire exercise is not the extent to which the young researchers have offered solutions to various problems, but rather how they have developed their research and concept papers. The time and energy invested in preparing the papers through group discussions, library works, field surveys, peer consultations, literature reviews, and meetings with experts are more critical than the outcomes. Their eagerness to present the analyses and findings in a competitive manner is also remarkable. Those who were present at the venue to watch the event has appreciated the efforts. 

When several juveniles in the country are trapped in destructive gang culture or when a large number of school students are obsessed with digital devices, it is heartening to learn that younger people are also coming ahead to devote them to research and analysis. It is now necessary to keep the devotion alive and encourage them for innovation in the future. There is no doubt that Bangladesh will see some bright researchers who will emerge from these younger ones in the future.

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