Fine Gael has described Science Week Ireland as "a stunt" to cover up the failure of the Minister for Education to promote science in schools. The party's education spokesman, Mr Michael Creed, said science education at primary, secondary and third level was "a shambles".
He said yesterday the event was "nothing more than a political opportunity for our beleaguered education Minister for soft-focus photo calls and meaningless sound bites on science in education". Dr Woods was avoiding answering several critical questions on science, such as:
What progress was being made regarding the introduction of science in the primary curriculum; what was he doing about practical examinations at Junior and Leaving Cert and the need for investment in school laboratories; what was he doing to increase the numbers of students taking science subjects at second and third levels and how would he halt high third-level dropout rates, especially at institutes of technology?
"The Minister's abject failure in these areas puts our future prosperity at risk," Mr Creed said. "Science Week, however well-intentioned, is only window-dressing. Commitment to reforming science and technology in education requires more than one week of public relations a year."