Listener Response to Science Education: 'At my son's school, his Chemistry textbook was 25 years old, pre-dating his birth by 10 years'
Commander Chris Hadfield was our guest host on Friday for a special science edition of The Current, talking space, science and beyond. After hearing the conversation about science education in Canada's schools, one former teacher from Saskatchewan wrote anonymously about his regrets....
Commander Chris Hadfield was our guest host on Friday for a special science edition of The Current, talking space, science and beyond. After hearing the conversation about science education in Canada's schools, one former teacher from Saskatchewan wrote anonymously about his regrets.
I live in a small town, and I'm not prepared to admit this in public. If I taught Science dealing with geography, geology, weather, space I was on solid ground. We could have 'fun' because I had a decent background in it. But if it dealt with machines, motion, chemistry or electricity...I was sunk. If we did experiments and they 'failed', I had no idea how to explain it to the students. I was in WAY over my head. I was sorry every time 'Science' appeared on our timetable. And I regret my paucity. But I did my best. Thinking about my Science 'career' makes me both embarrassed and sad. I'm so sorry.
Barbara Weinburg of Vancouver writes:
At my son's school last year in grade 11 his Chemistry textbook was 25 years old, pre-dating his birth by 10 years. There were no maths textbooks, just a workbook that parents could buy. Also the teachers did not have adequate funding to do many of the science experiments. Surely this is what brings science alive.
And Christine Pilgrim adds this perspective:
I'm a musician and spent 15 years teaching Band, Social Studies, and English. The concept that we need better Science teaching misses the boat COMPLETELY... Canada needs better education, period.... a complete turn around back to far, far more resources being delivered to the most essential part of our society's development. Real education, unfettered intellectual growth, exploration and freedom of thought.
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