12th September 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
The Council for Science and Technology has warned the education secretary that practical science lessons are being squeezed out of school science lessons due to the pressure of exam preparation. The advisory body has said that the loss of laboratory experiments as part of the GCSE and A’ Level science courses means that students are not receiving a well-rounded education in the subject. They have contacted the government asking that experiments be protected in the reform of GCSE and A’ Levels in England. The Council for Science and Technology is already in an advisory position to the government, and has warned that the increasing focus on grades is squeezing out opportunities for students to enjoy and learn from practical experiments.
The Council went on to say that learning science without practicals is akin to studying literature without access to books. They argued that the essence of science was to be found in performing practical experiments, and said that practicals should be at the heart of the curriculum rather than an optional extra. The also urged the government to allow teachers greater control over science-teaching, and said that they should be given the opportunity to devise “innovative and challenging” practicals that would inspire students to learn. They noted that currently, teachers are under huge pressure to cover a limited amount of material repetitively in an attempt to get their students to pass exams.
The Department for Education has responded by saying that the decision to scrap modular assessment and January exams would allow greater time for classroom experiments, because students and teachers will not have to prepare for as many exams. They also said that under new plans, students would be able to take part in practical experiments in primary schools, which would equip them to move on to more advanced practical studies at secondary school. The Royal Society of Chemistry has also added its voice to the report which has been passed to the government, highlighting that practical science has been eroded steadily in schools over the last 20 years and must be made a priority.