Letters

Science in primary schools

Back to the future

Fri Dec 29 2023 - 00:14

A chara, – I agree with letter-writer John Kelly (Letters, December 26th) that a lottery system is not an appropriate way for Government to provide funding for schools to teach science, technology, maths and engineering (Stem) subjects.

In 1900, science was introduced as a compulsory subject in primary schools in Ireland. At that time a grant of £10 (worth about €1,700 today) was paid to every school to enable them to carry out practical experiments and a list of appropriate science apparatus was provided.

Following independence in 1922, science was dropped as a compulsory school subject. Rural science could be taught on a voluntary basis but since very few schools taught it, it was gradually phased out.

In November 1934, the Department of Education issued a circular to schools (Circular 16/34) instructing them to store carefully their science equipment.

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They should ensure that “the equipment should be clean so that there would be no risk of damage through breakage, smoke, damp or lack of care”.

The special science weighing scales “should be disassembled, and its parts wrapped carefully in dry paper”.

If there was any risk of dampness, “the parts that might get rusted, should be smeared with Vaseline” and packed carefully away.

Now that science is being reintroduced into the primary school curriculum, the Minister for Education might consider sending a circular to schools authorising them to unlock the cupboard in which the science equipment was stored in 1934 and instructing them to reassemble it and use it again. – Yours, etc,

ÁINE HYLAND,

(Emeritus Professor of Education,

University College Cork),

Dalkey,

Co Dublin.