Madurai, Tamil Nadu —
Science parks that once provided Madurai’s children with practical demonstrations of mechanics, thermodynamics and space science are steadily disappearing across the city, leaving fewer opportunities for outdoor, activity‑based STEM learning, local groups and park organisers said.
Facilities that once displayed working models such as pendulums, pulleys, gears and a solar‑powered radio have either fallen into disrepair or been replaced by conventional play equipment, according to reporting in a local newspaper.
The decline has occurred over more than a decade. The science park at Thiruparankundram, set up in 2008, was once a focal recreational and educational space in that area and housed instruments that demonstrated physics concepts. Poor maintenance, however, left many of the exhibits unusable, the report said.
More recently, a science park at Walkers Park in Vandiyur, opened in 2022 with models aimed at explaining physics concepts, was removed in 2023 and the area was converted to a regular children’s park under the Vandiyur beautification project.
One of the earliest such installations, established at the Gandhi Memorial Museum in 1995, no longer serves its original purpose: the park area is now used for parking, the report added. A representative of the private firm that had set up the museum park said the aim of the facilities had been to make STEM concepts accessible and to ease classroom learning.
“Such parks could take learning beyond classrooms,” M. Pandiarajan, secretary of the Madurai division of the Tamil Nadu Science Forum, said. “More such parks need to be set up in the city. Schools could organise visits to science parks and use the equipment for lessons.”
There remain a few functioning science parks. The Thirunagar facility, established in February (year not specified in the report), retains equipment demonstrating thermodynamics, force and gravity, and includes two ISRO space‑shuttle models. Yet its location on the outskirts limits day‑to‑day access for children from other parts of the city.
Impact on children and learning
Community activists and educators said the removal and deterioration of hands‑on exhibits coincide with children spending more time on mobile phones and fewer opportunities for outdoor exploration. Without local, maintained facilities that demonstrate scientific principles practically, teachers and parents must rely more on classroom instruction or digital resources to explain abstract concepts.
Advocates argue that physical models and interactive installations help younger students grasp fundamentals of motion, energy and mechanics more quickly than theoretical teaching alone. The disassembly of these parks, they say, diminishes informal science education that complements school curricula.
Where science parks stand now
- Thiruparankundram — Established 2008; exhibits now largely unusable due to poor maintenance.
- Walkers Park, Vandiyur — Opened 2022 with physics models; removed in 2023 and converted into a conventional children’s park under a beautification scheme.
- Gandhi Memorial Museum park — Set up 1995; area now used for parking.
- Thirunagar — Established in February; retains ISRO models and equipment on thermodynamics and force, but location limits accessibility.
| Park | Year established | Current status |
|---|---|---|
| Thiruparankundram | 2008 | Exhibits unusable due to poor maintenance |
| Walkers Park, Vandiyur | 2022 | Removed in 2023; replaced with regular children’s park |
| Gandhi Memorial Museum | 1995 | Area used for parking |
| Thirunagar | February (year not specified) | Functioning but on outskirts; limited access |
Local science promoters and the Tamil Nadu Science Forum urged municipal authorities and civic groups to prioritise maintenance of existing installations and to plan additional parks within city limits so that children from all neighbourhoods can benefit.
They suggested model partnerships with schools, non‑profits and private firms to both sustain equipment and integrate park visits into school programmes. Such measures, they said, could preserve hands‑on spaces that make STEM learning tangible for younger students.
City education and parks departments have not been quoted in the report. The future of Madurai’s remaining science parks will depend on municipal choices about maintenance budgets, land use and civic priorities amid competing demands for public space.
— Madurai correspondent
