Anger over funds for new science course

Science debate: In an embarrassing move for the Government, teachers have indicated that they may refuse to teach the new Junior Certificate Science syllabus in September because they don't have the necessary facilities.

The Government is already under pressure from the science and technology sector because of the major fall-off in students entering these industries.

At the TUI congress in Ennis, members carried a motion directing the union to instruct members not to implement the new Junior Science syllabus until the recommendations of the task force on the physical sciences were fully implemented.

The task force recommended the provision of labs, equipment and necessary resources for science teachers and students.

Mr John MacGabhann, TUI education and research officer, advised delegates that the Department of Education would be issuing proposals on the syllabus next week but the vote was still carried by a majority.

It would be a "retrograde step" if teachers refused to teach the new Junior Science syllabus in September because of a lack of resources, the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, told reporters yesterday.

"I think it would be a very negative thing to decide to do for the pupils of this country and they are my concern," he said. The Minister said he was doing everything possible to ensure that the equipment and the resources were there to operate the junior syllabus. "It's a three-year course. It [the resources] may not be there in September. I think it would be a very retrograde step if teachers decided they were not going to teach it."

The TUI president, Mr Derek Dunne said many people believed the new course was "the Ferrari" of all science syllabuses. "However, Minister, the Ferrari has come without an engine and without petrol for many of our teachers."

He pointed to one Tuam school that had a science lab no bigger than a table. The lab had a single Bunsen burner.

"You need to deliver, Minister, you have an opportunity to deliver on the Junior Cert Science syllabus. We want the labs, we want the equipment and most of all we want the commitment from you that these things will be delivered before the syllabus is implemented."

At the ASTI congress in Limerick, teachers also expressed concern at the lack of resources for science teachers. Mr Charlie Lennon, ASTI general secretary, said it would be impossible to implement the new syllabus, given the appalling state of at least 40 per cent of school labs around the State.