There has been much discussion lately about the ignorance of matters scientific among the public. With this is mind, here are some thoughts from Blighty.
I have just been speaking to my friend O, who is quite a senior figure in science education. He has been fighting a battle for years against the prevailing mindset. I will put forth a few of his complayntes:
The exam boards see it as their job, rather than the teachers’, to stretch children’s knowledge.
Science teaching is becoming increasingly mathematized.
It is aimed at producing academic scientists, rather than teaching folk at large who want to use their science in their jobs, e.g. plumbers and beauticians.
They consider only the science of the middle class professionals, such as medics and dentists, rather than science for the workers.
As you may guess from the previous sentence, he is a Socialist. I have been described as a “right-wing Bolshevik” But I do think there is much in what he says. What do you think?
There has been much discussion lately about the ignorance of matters scientific among the public. With this is mind, here are some thoughts from Blighty. I have just been speaking to my friend O, who is quite a senior figure in science education. He has been fighting a battle for years against the prevailing mindset. I will put forth a few of his complayntes: The exam boards see it as their job, rather than the teachers’, to stretch children’s knowledge. Science teaching is becoming increasingly mathematized. It is aimed at producing academic scientists, rather than teaching folk at large who want to use their science in their jobs, e.g. plumbers and beauticians.
