In a rural classroom northwest of Shanghai, science teacher Li Wei has transformed ordinary plastic buckets and basic physics principles into an educational phenomenon. His homemade water-powered rocket project, developed over six months using locally sourced materials, now serves as a flagship example of China's push for hands-on STEM education.
"When students see Newton's laws propel a 2-liter bottle 50 meters into the air, theory becomes tangible," Li told KhabarAsia during a demonstration. The project aligns with the Chinese mainland's educational reforms emphasizing practical innovation, with over 300 secondary schools adopting similar programs this year.
Local education authorities report increased student participation in regional science competitions since the rocket initiative began. For Malaysia-born student Aisha Tan, 14, the experiments have sparked new ambitions: "I used to fear physics equations. Now I'm designing my own propulsion systems."
While simple in construction, the rockets demonstrate complex concepts from fluid dynamics to aerodynamics. Educators across Southeast Asia have requested lesson plans, with pilot programs planned in Vietnam and Indonesia by Q2 2026.
