Comment: A lesson to be
learned
One of the main things I have learnt from listening and talking
to Members is that there is a crisis in chemistry education.
School children do not want to do chemistry any more —
and even those who get qualifications in chemistry aged 18
do not want to go on to study it at university.
It is easy to forget quite how random decisions like that
can be when you are in your teens. Personally, I loved chemistry
at school, but nobody really explained to me what it was used
for, so my decisions on which subjects to take were based
on the really crucial issue of which teacher I would have
if I went on to A level.
As soon as I found out that my favourite chemistry teacher,
Mrs Boorman, wasn’t taking the A level class, I gave
up.
Is the answer to make sure all teachers are as good as Mrs
Boorman? Partly. But in the meantime, perhaps we should be
getting students to look at better reasons to keep going with
chemistry.
By Rosamund Snow, departing Head of Corporate Affairs Department
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