CASE FOR NATIONAL SCIENCE CENTRE

ROSEMARY KEVANY,

ROSEMARY KEVANY,

Sir, - William Reville's Science article on June 27th "Helping the Young to Switch on to Science", refers to the report and recommendations of the Task Force on the Physical Sciences (April, 2002), but neglects to mention the action area statements by the Task Force which support the establishment of a National Science Centre.

The programme for government agreed by Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats supports the establishment, following competitive funding procedures, of interactive science centres.

Science centres provide scientific information in a digestible form, and are classified as Informal Science Organisations (ISOs). These institutions form a world-wide infrastructure including science centres, children's centres, and visiting exhibitions, which serve public education. Around the world, 1,200 science centres attract 200 million visitors each year.

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Their expectations, goals and values are distinct from those of formal education. ISOs concentrate on the "how" of science more than the "what". Key characteristics of science centres are their space (versus time) frame, social context, three-dimensional, multi-sensory interactive qualities, employing a very large or a very small scale, and presenting science both in and out of context. Therefore, curiosity, questioning, learning at a leisurely pace, accelerated learning, playfulness, exploration and avoidance of failure are the qualities that grow from a visit to a science centre.

Informal science education uses social interaction and inter-generational learning, and invites people to participate on a voluntary basis. This contrasts with formal science, which is taught within a school structure, on a time scale, and directed by a teacher. The two are complementary, not mutually exclusive.

Since 1987, we in Discovery, the Dublin Interactive Science Centre team, have been campaigning for a science centre for the space reserved for a "major cultural attraction" in Stack A, in the International Financial Services Centre in the Dublin Docklands. We think that it would be very hard to find a better bargain for a funded science centre than what is on offer from the DDDA, in terms of a prime city-centre location, a renovated listed warehouse, and the levy of €1 million a year to be paid by the ISFC tenants to a museum located in Stack A.

We have a declaration of intent to set up a science centre in Dublin in the programme for Government, and we have the Task Force on the Physical Sciences identifying a science centre as necessary for the public understanding of science.

All we need is the willingness of the Docklands Authority to decide that a science centre is the right choice for Stack A, and the adherence of Government to its promise to supply a National Science Centre. - Yours, etc.,

ROSEMARY KEVANY,

(for Discovery),

Killiney,

Co Dublin.,