The Science Education Initiative

The South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) began an education programme, in addition to its low-profile public awareness programme, on a part-time basis in 1994. In line with recent government policy on Science and Technology, this became an integral part of the SAAO in 1996 with the appointment of a full-time education officer and the development of the Science Education Initiative (SEI). Traditionally astronomy was taught in South African schools as an introduction to some aspects of the geography syllabus. The astronomy content was minimal and often badly taught or omitted, depending on the knowledge and ability of the teacher. Since basic scientific research was often seen as an elitist luxury, and the fact that much science education took place within the ambit of environmental education, meant that the following three statements were particularly relevant to the development of the SEI:

Scientific endeavour is not purely utilitarian in its objectives and has important associated cultural and social values. It is also important to maintain basic competence in flagship sciences such as physics and astronomy for cultural reasons. Not to offer them would be to take a negative view of our future - the view that we are a second-class nation chained forever to the treadmill of feeding and clothing ourselves. (White Paper on Science and Technology 1996)

A knowledge of astronomy produces a humility that creates a respect for planet earth and an awareness of the delicacy of its environment. (Rijsdijk 1995)

One of the problems of our time is to overcome the attitudes that tend to justify and reinforce the isolation of the scientific community. We must open new channels of communication between science and society. (Prigogrine 1980)

The SEI set out some specific goals (Rijsdijk 1996) which can be summarized briefly as:

• using astronomy to stimulate young people to follow careers in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) through a student and teacher science education programme,
• developing resources for students and teachers,
• encouraging students and teachers to attend workshops at both the SAAO and their own schools,
• re-introducing astronomy in the national schools' curriculum,
• using astronomy to stimulate an interest in science,
• raising public awareness of astronomy and the SAAO.

The underlying philosophy was to use astronomy as a vehicle to stimulate an interest in science, rather than to actually teach astronomy. Of course when and where possible astronomy would be taught!

© Copyright Astronomical Society of Australia 1997