Tim Oates, the government advisor in charge of overhauling the national curriculum, has come under fire for his recent proposals to drop climate change from the syllabus for 5-16yr olds.
In a Guardian interview Oates called for schools 'to get back to the science in science'. Oates has a point, core subjects like evolution, magnetism and chemical formulae are vital information for children to learn and should always be part of the curriculum. However, surely the point of teaching is to enthuse children in a subject so that they can better learn and understand it. In my opinion, and one shared 100 years ago by Thomas Huxley in his Science in Education journals, the biggest change Oates could make is to make science lessons more practical. Repetition and constant memorization will never instill a fervor to learn, whereas the excitement and fun from performing experiments can make any concept easier to understand. Informal science education, such as trips to museums, should also have more emphasis.
How better to do that than show how science is constantly advancing and new, exciting discoveries are being made all the time? Oates says "we're not taking it back 100 years" by removing climate change, but instead getting back to grass roots science. By removing science issues and their relevance you are moving children away from learning about all current news. Climate change covers politics, geography and science. It's a hotly contested topic which has all major newspapers, websites and television channels introducing separate environmental sections. Without it being taught in school a child will be far less equipped to make their own decisions about relevant issues and debates. Other debates in the news, including women's equality, abortion and the war on terror are all taught about in schools, through both history and current events. In 2007 'Cultural Understanding of Science' was added to the curriculum for 11-14 year olds. Science should follow the same policy as other major topics in todays society, with both core theories being covered and then teachers making the decision on which current topics are the most relevant to the children and their immediate culture.
In America, children can choose 3 science subject and Earth Science (including Climate Change) is quickly becoming the most popular. This shows that children can take an active interest in our planet and the environment. Reforming science education is necessary. especially when science is taught as a single subject until GCSE and without, for some pupils, practical lessons until you reach secondary school. However, removing the current most interesting topics in science, and not educating future generations about how to look after our planet is not the way forward.
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