Why NZ Schools need to provide high quality Science Education
(NB: A hard choice on a topic today. I was going to write again on how the PPTA continue to trample on children and families through “rostering home” two year groups a day. I was going to talk about how they are bringing the whole sector into further disrepute and shooting themselves in every body-part by driving high aspiration young people aware from a career in teaching (or driving teachers overseas) I was going to say that teachers need an oath, equivalent to the Hippocratic Oath for doctors, to “first do no harm”. But I have decided to talk about something else.”)
On Monday the NZ Herald carried this opinion piece:
Andrew Rogers: Bureaucrats have missed that science education is dying
“Science education in New Zealand is in decline.
We don’t have enough of the right specialist teachers and the programmes continue to be diluted. The tinkering at NCEA level 1 is a case in point.
Our long-term decline in the international PISA tests should have been a big wake-up call that all is not well.”
This graph backs up his assertion:
Dr Rogers can speak with authority as not only is he exceptionally well qualified but he is also the HOD Chemistry at one of New Zealand’s very best performing schools: St Peter’s College in Epsom.
He notes: “The reality is that science is not well supported by the Ministry of Education (MoE) regardless of the rhetoric we hear. Notably, only one of the MoE senior leadership team has ever taught in a school (primary).
Of concern is that only a very small proportion of MoE employees (I estimate fewer than 1 per cent) has a science degree, and I couldn’t find anyone who had taught chemistry or physics. No doubt my statistics are wrong, but you get the picture. Sciences don’t register as important on the MoE radar.”
I wish Andrew was wrong but he isn’t. Science education is in deep trouble in NZ. Very few primary teachers have a background in Science subjects let alone the competence to teach it well. The subject is being significantly diminished in the “curriculum refresh” and the collective contract prevents incentivising this area where the shortages are already crippling.
The Ministry of Education is incompetent, disconnected from school level reality, captured by idealogues of all manner – and clearly completely disinterested in academic rigour in Science and Math. A new government needs to completely restructure/repurpose the Ministry, completely sweep out the current leadership and bring in 10 of NZ’s most outstanding Principals to lead the organisation
The Sciences are not only important for career opportunities, important for the economy, but also deeply interesting and invigorating when well taught. Young people who love science have also got more resources at their finger-tips than ever before. Parents are beginning to challenge schools and the Ministry in a range of areas. This is another one to be VERY vocal about.
Much can happen in the home too. For parents and grandparents out there two of the best books to buy for 10 year olds through to adults are:
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson (fully illustrated version – not the kids version)
The Body by Bill Bryson (also illustrated)
Anyone reading them will fall in love with Science and also probably realise they learn more away from PPTA control-ville and that many of the best teachers of science subjects around the world can be accessed.
(You may be interested that I am now publishing on Substack three times a week: https://alwynpoole.substack.com/publish/posts)
Alwyn.poole@gmail.com