We went a whole year without science teaching at a time when grammar schools and others were pumping in facts to help open up minds and maximize GCE results. It was a travesty and a disgrace that reached far beyond our headmaster and the County Council. I recall that we were entertained by a personable and no doubt knowlegeable teacher called Mr Fawcett. I guess he was filling in and he did it with much humour. I was not impressed by his goal scoring in our school team's 4-1 victory over the teachers; well yes I was impressed because he took it well - but it was salt being rubbed into our science starved eyes.
Coming up to date - the theory of Evolution is accepted by the Pope, and many other influential people, but despite that too much of American education is siding with a world that took seven days to form. I ask you! It gets worse: if you believe media reports the outdated emphasis on creation is also much closer to home -at first I thought it was Sunderland but now believe it's Gateshead.
I do hope the theory of evolution is put firmly in front of young minds by means of the curriculum. I do hope that the elementary facts of science fire the imagine of youngsters in such a way that they are enabled to appreciate the brilliance of Professor Brian Cox and others. I do hope that I can put 1959 to bed safe in the knowledge that youngsters are free from the taint of superstition and entranced by a better magic called science. If such a dream comes true it might help to save the planet one day!
WB
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I loved science at school and I still love it to this day. I also love the expressions on young faces when they discover something new during a science lesson or witness how something works. However, it is actually science, and not superstition, that is currently destroying the planet (aeroplanes; cars; the ability to pump oil; the ability to ruin large swathes of rainforests because of machinery and thereby destroy the habitats of many of it's creatures; the ability to go on shooting sprees with guns killing large numbers of innocent people; the ability to use harmful chemicals to gas and kill innocent people...), although superstition can certainly be harmful when it comes to the views of some religious bodies on contraception and the protection from sexually transmitted diseases. Don't get me wrong, I am a keen advocate of science over superstition and I recognise that science can do much good, but I also recognise that caution is required, particularly where humans are concerned for it is man and man alone that destorys our planet.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughful piece Jacqui.I appreciate and agree with your line of thought. Misapplied science is indeed causing immense problems but ofcourse that is just part of a mix: culture, religion, big business, powerful pressure groups and others;they sometimes interplay with disastrous results.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Although they all have one thing in common, humans! Not that I'm advocating that we all jump off a cliff in order to save the planet :-)
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