Estonian teachers get crash course in drone education
Tech teachers from 15 Estonian schools have been learning how to build and use drones in order to pass on that knowledge to their students.
Drone education is considered an easily accessible field for young people, which is expected to then generate broader interest in engineering.
A lot of the teachers first learned how to fly drones at the Humala training ground so they could teach young people how to assemble and use them.
This initiative comes from the Estonian Association of Engineers, the Association of Technology Education, and technology teachers themselves.
"I've been here for two days and the school principal is very supportive, because the 15 years of robotics we've taught at the school have already yielded tangible results. Many of my students have gone on to become engineers and now work for well-known companies," said Lauri Vilibert, a technology teacher at Kristiine High School in Tallinn.
Drone piloting has already been taught in Estonia for a number of years. It is not primarily a military discipline, but a sport. The coach of the Estonian drone racing team said it is an acceptable activity for children to get involved with.
"As a model, it simply has everything in one package. From mathematics to programming, physics to aerodynamics and even chemistry – you can learn everything because it simply brings everything together," said Janno Siimar, coach of the Estonian drone racing team.
One participant told ERR that basic school lessons, along with extracurricular activities, inspire young people to become engineers.
"We don't have technology engineers or process engineers who can build factories. But in fact, that's the what we want to show children. So, when we go to basic schools, we show them the whole picture of engineering opportunities. Next spring and over the following years, we will double the number of schools participating in the program from the 15 that are with us today," said Enn Kerner, vice president of the Estonian Association of Engineers (Eesti Inseneride Liit).
The training is being conducted with the help of the Estonian Research Agency TeaMe 3, which supports the popularization of natural and exact sciences using co-financing from the European Union. This is supplemented by training from the Civil Aviation Administration.
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Editor: Michael Cole, Johanna Alvin
Source: "Aktuaalne kaamera"
