Trends Counteracting in Education Part-II

 

The predominance of English in the new technologies creates additional barriers based on language. The flexibility of computer software in this regard has improved greatly over the past few years, but it continues to constitute an obstacle and in many cases it blocks access to the use of the new technologies, particularly for the older generation.

In many classrooms children may be found who face learning difficulties but who, given appropriate support, would do extremely well in mathematics, science and technology. Given better teaching other children with learning difficulties would acquire at least basic knowledge of science and technology. In many countries the plea for equal opportunities in education has stood in the way of promoting talent in science and technology. With the help of educational research we have come to recognize that particularly among those groups of the population whose level of education is lower, e.g. among migrant workers, minorities, or the disabled, gifted persons are to be found, whose development society cannot afford not to support, just as it cannot afford not to help persons with learning difficulties.

Central and Eastern European countries as well as some regions of Western Europe often lack money to equip schools with the hardware and material needed for modern teaching. There is sometimes also a lack of funds for maintenance and replacements of such equipment. In many cases attempts are made to overcome these deficits with the help of sponsors in industry. Just as important is the fact that not all European regions provide schools with a mathematics and science branch. Regional imbalances of this kind are often found in less heavily populated rural and mountainous areas. At schools with stress on the humanities science and technology subjects are often consciously neglected or not taught at all, despite the fact that the new technologies have gained importance even for the humanities.