NCB Science advice paper comment conclusion

This is the conclusion to my submission to the National Curriculum Board regarding their initial advice paper on Science, which I emailed in last night. I already posted the rest in separate sections: part I, part II, part III, part IV, part V.

VI. In conclusion, there are significant deficiencies within this initial advice paper, which must be addressed before the final national Science curriculum is put to parliament. The most serious of these is the low priority given to the teaching of “scientific knowledge”, particularly in the primary years. Science studies should provide all students with both the skills and background understandings to make informed decisions with regard to scientific matters in their adult lives. This is true even for those who will not continue on to further academic study in this discipline. This paper proposes additions to the work load of teachers, while at the same time decreasing the rigor of what they are expected to teach. Again, it would be more worthwhile to specify a higher required contact time to teach scientific concepts, theories and processes, in age levels which are appropriate for the students’ mental capacities.