School science needs a shake-up, says report

Citation

(2001), "School science needs a shake-up, says report", Education + Training, Vol. 43 No. 8/9. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2001.00443hab.012

School science needs a shake-up, says report

School science needs a shake-up, says reportKeywords: Science, Education, Schools, Ethics

Teenagers are missing out on essential classroom discussion about the social and ethical impact of scientific developments such as the sequencing on the human genome and stem-cell research, says a report. Valuable Lessons: Engaging with the Social Context of Science in Schools, published by biomedical-research charity the Wellcome Trust, warns that unless school children are encouraged to argue the rights and wrongs of new discoveries, the "genome generation" of adult citizens may be ill equipped to deal with the new life choices presented by the genetic revolution. The report argues that the traditional "test tube and text book" approach to science in secondary and post-16 education should be enhanced by more debate on, and exploration of, the social dimension of science. The way forward is for curriculum reform, professional development and cultural change to develop a holistic approach to teaching science and related issues, which should involve both science and humanities staff.

The Wellcome Trust commissioned the Institute of Education to carry out the research, which involved more than 300 schools and colleges across England and Wales. Dr Mike Dexter, director of the Wellcome Trust, which funded the UK contribution to the human-genome project, said: "Today's young people will be the first to benefit from developments such as the human-genome project, but they will also be the first to face the challenging social and ethical questions arising from these advances. This report shows the need for educational reform to provide the foundation for improved scientific literacy in society. The genome era must be democratic, which means everyone having an informed say about the new social, ethical and political questions posed by science. We must avoid scientific exclusion, at all costs."

Science teachers blamed the current narrow examination regime for rewarding knowledge but not giving sufficient weight to well reasoned argument. The report recommends that social, moral and ethical issues should be more clearly set out in examination syllabuses. Baroness Ashton, schools minister, commented: "The Government is committed to ensuring that school life prepares children for active citizenship. As this report shows, there is a need for science to be debated and explored, as well as formally taught, in the classroom. As part of Science Year, we are already looking at proposals, in co-operation with the Association of Science Education and the Wellcome Trust, which will bring science to life in the new citizenship curriculum to be introduced in 2002."