The engineering and technical centre at Novka Secondary School named after twice Hero of the Soviet Union P. I. Klimuk in Vitebsk district has become a hub for children not only from this educational institution but from the entire district.
Correspondents of BELTA learned from schoolchildren and teachers what future engineers, programmers, and designers are taught.
This year, the engineering and technical centre, which had been operating at the school as a club for several years, has been significantly re-equipped. Now, in addition to computers, the children have access to robotics laboratories, robot platforms, robot construction kits, including various sensors for light, sound, and touch, and their control. Also, thanks to a sponsoring agricultural organisation, the school has acquired a modern 3D printer that can not only print according to a given program but also scan a finished model and independently create an exact copy.
Children of almost all ages are involved in the engineering and technical centre. "The youngest trainees at the centre are second-graders. Both boys and girls are eager to attend classes. One student even brought her younger brother from the first grade, and he really enjoyed what they study here. He watched everything with interest, asked questions, and tried to do something himself," shared Irina Kovalevskaya, a primary school teacher who also teaches the basics of robotics to younger students.
She explained that the little ones start with the fundamentals of computer animation – using the visual programming language Scratch, they learn to write simple programs, understand algorithms, and create moving images on the computer. They often approach older students, ask what they are doing, react enthusiastically to moving robots, and try to control them. They also want to start programming at a more advanced level as soon as possible.
Older schoolchildren are tackling more complex tasks – programming robots and learning 3D modelling. The skills they acquire in the engineering and technical centre's classes also help them in their general education lessons. For example, in computer science classes, they find it much easier to understand the programs they study, and they find working with code less challenging.
"The children are very actively engaged in the centre's classes, offering their own ideas and striving for development. For instance, we have robot laboratories that allow for controlling the movements of a robot platform, and these were built by the children themselves, without my guidance. The younger ones look up to the older ones, and the high school students help those who are just taking their first steps in programming. If they're interested, there's no stopping them," shared Nikita Khlebovsky, head of the engineering and technical centre and a mathematics teacher.
Among his students are young talents who have participated in international robotics competitions. For example, Egor Klimanov, who has been passionate about programming for about four years. He took part in the Union State competition for scientific and technical creativity of students "Talents of the 21st Century". Although he didn't win a prize, he gained insight into the preparation level of participants from Belarus and Russia.
"Ours are stronger," he stated, noting that he now has clear goals to strive for and areas for growth. According to the ninth-grader, he enjoys working with programming during classes. He hasn't yet decided on a future profession, as he still has two years of high school ahead to choose a specific specialisation.
For ninth-grader Karolina Spiridonova, who specialises in artistic and 3D modelling at the engineering and technical centre, her future path is becoming clearer. "I mastered artistic modelling on my phone independently a long time ago, but 3D modelling is proving more challenging due to the coding. However, I believe that with interest and a desire to understand, one can learn anything and do it well," she shared. She admitted that she is already considering higher education in design, but internet marketing also appeals to her. She also has time to make up her mind. Karolina is confident that all the knowledge and skills acquired at school will be useful in her future profession.
Nikita Khlebovsky emphasised that the centre's lessons help schoolchildren develop logical and critical thinking from an early age, as well as the ability to identify and correct errors. Working with components to assemble robots also enhances fine motor skills. Furthermore, children learn to communicate, overcome their fear of asking for help from older students, thus fostering an atmosphere of trust and mutual support. Very often, high school students who have mastered the basics and are engaged in more advanced programming explain concepts to younger children and become mentors.
The school management plans to conduct classes for children from Vitebsk district at the engineering and technical center. "Vitebsk has similar centers and IT schools for children, but not everyone can get there. The education department of the Vitebsk District Executive Committee came up with the idea to establish, so to speak, a weekend school at our center, where boys and girls from rural schools will come on Saturdays to learn the basics of robotics. All classes are held free of charge. Our school has an engineering group, which includes students from the 10th and 11th grades. Under an agreement with Polotsk State University (PSU) named after Euphrosyne of Polotsk, our students visit the university and enterprises where technical specialties are in demand and there is a need for new personnel. Almost all graduates from the engineering group will enroll in PSU to obtain an engineering degree," emphasized Tatyana Didorenko, the principal of Novkinskaya Secondary School.