Schools don't teach science.
This is a bit of a hobby horse of mine, but...

School 'Science' courses teach you a set of trivia - which bit of an insect is the thorax and which the abdomen, the difference between a cumulus and a nimbus cloud etc.

Those things are, at best, the fruits of science, not science itself. In a lot of cases they're not even that. 'This is the thorax and this is the abdomen' teaches you nothing about insects - it's a fact about the use of language.

'Science', if it means anything, means subjecting your ideas to constant scrutiny - that, and a set of formal processes to allow you to do so.

If music courses were run in the same way, students wouldn't do anything but memorise song lyrics, and it'd never be mentioned that there's a structure to music.

It's almost as if they didn't like the idea of widespread intelligent skepticism.
(apeloverage committed the vile act of onanism on, Fri 30 Jan 2009, 1:03, 8 replies)

of course you realise
scepticism is spelt with a 'c'

"discuss"
( .spanky is singing "PEANUTS!", Fri 30 Jan 2009, 1:20, closed)

of course you realise
skepticism is the American spelling.
(LickOutTheJamsMotherfuckers!, Fri 30 Jan 2009, 2:11, closed)

of course you realise
'American spelling' is a nice way of saying 'incorrect spelling'
( Spunk Murphy Tchaikovsky is a synonym for fanny, apparently, Fri 30 Jan 2009, 14:05, closed)

FFS, apeloverage!
Not a pun in sight. And what's more, I agree with your every word (Americanised spelling notwithstanding).
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Fri 30 Jan 2009, 9:07, closed)

Strongly agree
Science teaching in schools (and elsewhere) is deeply flawed, mainly due to the lack of actual scientists in schools. Those that can, do etc.

Still at least you can learn science from a book. Shame libraries see books as a thing of the past.
( lion-cake Bad lion-cake, bad., Fri 30 Jan 2009, 9:31, closed)

on the other hand....
I agree with you mr. loverage. I think most subjects are similarly flawed up until A-Level, but if they are able to engage childer in such a way that they desire to study the field further and ask "why?" then it cannot be *all* bad...
(Papa Chocolat, Fri 30 Jan 2009, 23:04, closed)

I'm not sure
Having taught English from advanced, who are hungry for info, to fuckwits (high school students, who arn't, and I don't blame them),I recognise that science (having talked to other teachers) is fuckin' difficult to teach these days. We need to unwrap the children of Britain, from their cotton-wool existence, and give them the freedom to experiment with dangerous chemicals to learn what fuckin' danger means. They might not be such cunts, on the bus, if they recognised their immortality.

Cunts.
(Dellamorte Dellamore Fuck it all, fuck it up, fuck it., Sat 31 Jan 2009, 22:43, closed)

mortality
surely?
(badgerlikespeed, Mon 2 Feb 2009, 18:09, closed)