Editorial: Science in schools

Today's young people are tomorrow's scientists. If the UK is to remain at the forefront of global scientific expertise, we need to ensure the enthusiasm of children for science is fuelled at an early age. We run the risk of the UK's scientific talent drying up unless we inspire them now and give them the confidence to understand, debate and question scientific issues that may emerge in the future. Schools and teachers have an essential contribution to make. They face the challenge of starting the education of the next generation of scientists. A second key role is to equip non-specialists with the knowledge, understanding and skills that they need to thrive in a technologically advanced society.

Last year a study funded by the Wellcome Trust - 'Primary Horizons: Starting out in science' - explored the attitudes and experiences of over 300 primary school teachers who teach science. The findings raised serious questions about how we create and develop inspiring and successful science teachers. The report found that teachers felt under pressure from the breadth of the science curriculum to be taught set against the time available to teach it. Up to 60 per cent of teachers over the age of 30 pointed towards the lack of continuing professional development (CPD) as a major problem.

Another Trust-funded survey - 'Believers, Seekers and Sceptics: What teachers think about continuing professional development' - found that science teachers in secondary schools spent even less time on CPD than primary school teachers. Half had had no subject-related CPD in the last five years, and those that had tended to be dissatisfied with it. Subject-specific updating needs to be given greater priority to enable teachers to develop their careers and to provide pupils with the scientific grounding they need.

In March the Prime Minister opened the Wellcome Trust National Science Learning Centre in York. This serves as the hub for a new £51m national network of Centres dedicated to revitalising science teaching in schools. The network was set up in response to reports from the Council of Science and Technology (2000) and the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee (2001) that identified a need for subject-specific CPD for science teachers.

This Centre and associated network will provide a national resource and focus for subject-specific training. Thousands of science teachers, technicians and teaching assistants will attend day and residential courses at the Centre where they can learn the latest teaching techniques, experiment with classroom equipment and keep abreast of the new technologies that can invigorate their science teaching.

Science education, and stimulating debate among young people on science and its impact on society, are not only important to ensure the future supply of scientists in the UK but also central, in an increasingly technological world, to everyday life. A scientifically literate society will ensure that scientific advances can be democratically debated and that scientific endeavour is trusted and valued by society - allowing us all to benefit from future advances in knowledge.