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Science & Technology
Schools 'axing traditional science experiments', warn MPs
2011-09-14
dangerously short-sighted
Children are being forced to study science "second hand" as schools dump traditional experiments in favour of teaching from textbooks, MPs warned today.

The Commons science select committee said that exaggerated fears over health and safety were occasionally used as a "convenient excuse" for avoiding practical work.

In a report, it was claimed that this often disguised a lack of confidence among physics, chemistry and biology teachers.

MPs insisted that a decline in experiments and fieldwork was actually down to weak teacher training, a lack of lab technicians, the poor quality of science facilities and crowded timetables.

The conclusions came as a separate international study showed the amount of time children spend in conventional lessons during the school day had a direct bearing on their chances of securing decent grades in science.

Posted by:lotp

#9  It was a parent-led project, Anonymoose, started sometime in the first half of the 1990s. One of the classroom mothers, a retired engineer, noticed the teacher was confusing series and parallel circuits, and decided to provide a solution. SHe was later hired by an elite private academy to reprise the program she had developed for us.

We were more than a cupcakes'n'cookies PTA. Lots of engineers and scientists, lawyers, CPAs, the founder of the publishing center had been head of human resources for a medium sized corporation, my co-chairs for the nature preserve were an Eagle Scout and a master gardener, the decorations committee was headed by a professional artist, the computer committee head was a regional manager for 3Com... Actually, fairly typical for what PTAs can call upon out in the suburbs nowadays, if only they think of it.
Posted by: trailing wife   2011-09-14 20:02  

#8  tw: Perhaps the pendulum is swinging back. The last I heard on the subject was from disgruntled h.s. science teachers who were giving up and getting out.

While I'm a big fan of the military as a career, I would much prefer that h.s. science teachers be afforded enough respect so that they don't quit and join the military.

If I had my druthers, every year of elementary school would have an hour a day of "Mr. Wizard" type science instruction. I could never get enough of it as a kid, which I though just wasn't right.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2011-09-14 18:16  

#7  g(r)omgoru
Maybe because the "science" then can't be questioned.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2011-09-14 17:36  

#6  Because the science is settled?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2011-09-14 16:55  

#5  The trailing daughters did lab experiments as part of the science curriculum from the primary grades on. Our elementary school PTA got a grant and set up the lab, designed lesson plans for each grade in conference with the teachers. PTA members with a strong background in science (professional scientists and engineers) ran the lessons while the teachers enforced proper student behaviour. The program was then copied across the district. This is a suburban public school system in southwest Ohio, not some exclusive private academy.

Admittedly, not all districts have PTA-involved parents with such skills, but still.
Posted by: trailing wife   2011-09-14 12:39  

#4  This debate ended 20 years ago in the US, by eliminating hands-on chemistry, biology, and even physics from most public high school curricula.

It ended about the same time that contingency lawyers shut down most public pools, got rid of most playground equipment, and were so vigorously suing anyone with money that it changed America.

Schools tried for a while to suggest that such hands-on experience was "just as good" when shown on computer, but they even gave up on that ruse, because doing everything by textbook only is as cheap as it gets.

And they don't get sued. As much.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2011-09-14 11:12  

#3  Article link. It's England, which has ever had problems with its community schools. I suspect it's a bit different in the fee-based "public" schools.
Posted by: trailing wife   2011-09-14 09:27  

#2  No worries. Chemistry is still being taught effectively in Madrasses.
Posted by: Besoeker   2011-09-14 08:41  

#1  Put it down, also, to a need to spend valuable class time on PC non-science related BS. I see that as a substitute in middle and HS that much of the "work" is talking about science from various social perspectives rather than actually doing science. Time is a limited resource and experiments are an easy cut.
Posted by: AlanC   2011-09-14 08:29  

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