Does Every One need a Science Education?

I teach science. I changed careers to teach science, I could be doing something else, but I teach science because I love science. When I started I was sure everyone should know science, lots and lots of science, just because it is so fun. Turns out not everyone agrees with me. It took me a few years to realize that some people, maybe most people do not find science as mind numbing wonderful as I. They might be incredible readers and gifted writers but they don't get science. So now I am asking myself the question that starts this post. Does everyone need a science education? I do, my doctor does, but honestly, does the American History teacher need to know about Newton's 3 laws or the English teacher about teleophase?

Of course everyone needs a science education. But does everyone need to be educated to be a scientist? No. Most people, and I freely admit I don't know what that really means, could get by with a basic understanding of the human body, disease transmission, nutrition, and the scientific method. Of course there is more that could be listed, and many would add lots more until we get to the point that there is to much to teach well and science teachers skim the surface of everything. In other words a lot like today.

I will go on record as saying I think that a child with an interest in science can get a great education in science in my school system. What about the kid that doesn't? Maybe we should acknowledge that everyone is not going to grow up to be a scientist and identify the skills and knowledge most Americans need. A science for citizens class. The teachers of this class would need to be skilled in tying concepts to real life and reinforcing skills like gathering information on topics. We would teach people how to find out what they need to make informed decisions when buying or voting. I think that this might lead to a resurgence of interest in science among the general population. Teach less science and people become more interested? Yes, if we teach how to access the science that people are interested in and not shove a ton of complex and abstract down their throat. If we build understanding they will come.

The science people, and I fully acknowledge this borders on elitism, would be taught a much more in depth curriculum with more resources spent on them. These would the scientists of tomorrow. They would get in depth investigations assisted by teachers who are true experts in their field.

There are problems of course, first we would have to get past the present mindset that all children are the same and need to know the same subjects to the same level of mastery. If an eighth grader is spending three hours in science, maybe they will not learn to write a haiku. The next problem is one of identifying just who are the future scientists, this is the one that haunts me. I do not want to turn away someone who has an interest, but maybe a slow starts. A friend of mine was special ed all through school, struggled to read, barely got in to a college, but once he was there worked hard and became a chemist. Some kids might might be put in the science track. I hate this, but I wonder are there kids now who do not go into science because of the mile wide inch deep curriculum or how many possible physicists are selling insurance because they didn't stick with science until their senior year to take the physics class.

I hope to flesh out what this system might look like in my future posts, please let me know what you think.