Trends Counteracting in Education Part-I

 

Although schools offer the same courses to both sexes, consciously or unconsciously, stereotypes regarding the role of women in society and at work determine general attitudes at schools as well as the thinking of girls and young women. According to polls, they still dream of becoming such things as stewardesses, actresses, hairdressers, teachers, or shop assistants and only rarely want to enter professions in science and technology. They often shy away from taking intensive courses in science and technology subjects. In the classroom situation teachers, often unconsciously, do not devote to them as much attention as they do to boys. Boys are often more active than girls in working with computers or in doing scientific experiments, they are more assertive, and attract the attention of teachers. Teachers are not used to counteracting this. In some countries this situation has once again resulted in a call for separation of the sexes at school or at least in intensive science and technology courses.

There are still too few girls in vocational education trying to qualify for science and technology careers. Women are also underrepresented in science and technology subjects in higher education and research. Since the student revolt of 1968 fundamental scepticism or even outright hostility towards technology have been observed among middle-generation teachers and younger people in many countries. Unrestricted industrial growth, environmental pollution linked to, as well as threats posed by nuclear energy has strengthened these trends. Industry and technology are given most of the blame for the problems encountered and market economy is equated to unregulated capitalism. Unemployment is often felt to be a consequence of progress in science and technology. Schools sometimes turn negative experience with the new technologies into prejudice and in many cases they take a negative attitude towards industrial work environment. Companies, on the other hand, are still too sporadic in their efforts to establish a dialogue with the educational system which might help to reduce prejudice.

Not all parents are able to help their children acquire science and technology literacy on the basis of their own knowledge and experience. Often there is a lack of the material prerequisites for instruction and practice on a PC at home. This means an additional disadvantage for children from such families, if they are not given access to the new technologies by some other means.