Education Science and Technology and Life

  Schools will have to show a stronger interest in the world of work and maintain closer contact with companies and public authorities. They should invite scientists and persons with practical work experience and send pupils to periods of practical training. In this context students should witness the interplay of science and technology in everyday life and be exposed to more than just the piecemeal application of textbook knowledge. Industry and public administration should be willing to provide training opportunities of this kind for thousands of secondary school pupils. Enabling secondary school pupils to take part in discussions of science and technology problems requires good media. Young people need to learn how to obtain information, where to find it and they need to learn how to assess the reliability of the information found, etc. Efforts should also be made in subjects such as Civics, Sociology, Economics, and Religious knowledge/Ethics to show the importance of scien...

  Europe's ability to compete in a world of global networks will depend to an ever increasing extent on the scientific and technological education of its citizens. The Committee of Ministers should encourage member States to devote greater attention than in the past to this kind of basic education at school and in the educational system. In addition, prerequisites for lifelong development and refreshment of science and technology literacy will have to be created and promoted in the educational system as a whole. Scientific issues should not be presented at schools just here and there, in bits and pieces, but rather in their full context. Young people should not be trained as narrow-track specialists, but rather to learn how to understand the influence of science and technology on our world in a comprehensive manner. Teachers should show how the meaningful use of science and technology could help to solve major problems facing mankind. Young people need to learn how to learn as ...

  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 disable...

  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...

  Secondary school leaving certificates qualifying for university entrance and sharp competition for university admission are forcing young people to make an effort to get the highest possible average marks. The result is that many senior secondary school pupils avoid mathematics and science subjects. At vocational schools, particularly public ones, teacher training and technical equipment are rarely sufficient to provide the necessary basic education in science and technology. Relevant in-service education and training programmes are still rare, even though an attempt is made in classroom work to compensate for this lack of science in technology literacy. Practical application and use of this knowledge seems to be very limited. Pupils and students in vocational education tend to learn how to use computers at home or on the job, and frequently do so better, more rapidly, and on more modern equipment than is generally the case for adults or teachers. Young people are often taught ...

  An evaluation of the situation cannot ignore the fact that the present lack of science and technology literacy observed in many countries is the result of shortcomings in the school system. Many teachers of mathematics, science and technology have an excellent command of their subject, but do not have sufficient teaching talent or training as teachers. They find it difficult to make knowledge taken from their own world of experience understandable to children on the basis of examples, evoking their enthusiasm for the subject in question, and arousing their scientific curiosity. There is too much lecturing, mechanical memorization , and asking of quiz questions. The critical abilities of pupils are not always developed and it is precisely these abilities that are of importance for basic education in science and technology. In Eastern Europe teachers are poorly paid in many cases, which is why it is often necessary to employ teaching assistants who do not have the necessary qualifi...

Education Science and Technology and Life The rapid progress of science and technology has radically changed our world. Nuclear power and environmental destruction have become threats. Diseases such as cancer and AIDS have not yet been defeated. Global climate patterns are becoming unstable. Natural resources will be exhausted in the foreseeable future. New technologies, particularly in the information sector, have changed the workplace and are creating new forms of global communication and information. The question of economic attractiveness for production sites is causing more and more companies to look abroad for more attractive production conditions. Many sequences of production are being done in global networks. Physical presence in the workplace is becoming less important and teleworking is gaining ground. In order to be able to compete in this changed society, in these new patterns of work and vocational activity world of work and professions, people will need at least a minimum...