The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, which ends today, is a noble achievement. It involves over 1,000 student finalists who are judged by 85 experts from Ireland’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) sectors. President Michael D Higgins was right to praise it: “It is both an exciting and a morally challenging time to be a young scientist. Young scientists and technologists have a great responsibility and opportunities to be conscientious and conscious as to where their work will be applied.”
But while I share President Higgins’s enthusiasm and I know the contest spotlights the imagination and enterprise of young Irish people, I find myself saying “Why just science?” Is it that companies like British Telecom (BT) are more likely to support the event? Is that science suggests a happy marriage between education and the real world? Yes and Yes is probably the answer.
But why can’t it exist alongside a range of Young Xs? Young artists, young writers, young historians, young politicians? Think of the many painters of tomorrow, the many writers, historians, politicians? Don’t they matter as much as scientists?
I’m aware I’m in danger of bias here. When I went to St Columb’s College in Derry at the age of twelve, I was fascinated by science. I’d read C S Lewis’s Out of the Silent Planet, H G Wells’s The Time Machine. My big brother Paddy had explained how everything was made up of these tiny things called atoms, which spun and danced in so many different forms. I was hungry for more of science. What I got was a dour Corkman who valued straight red ink underlining, and neatly written-up notes of what he’d dictated. who thumped you if you didn’t understand, who did his best to kill my inner young scientist – and was totally successful.
Of course In the end, it’s the classroom atmosphere created by the teacher that means pupil involvement or pupil alienation (pupil terror, mercifully is a thing of the past). But the esteem in which a subject area is held by the outside world is hugely important too. I’m dismayed that President Higgins didn’t see the open goal offered him. If he had, he would have at least mentioned the possibility for comparable encouragement in so many other areas of learning.
Amen Jude. That’s why has American fretting about getting rocks back from Mars and preparing every possible means to extract from and pollute our seas. It is a macho thing like Korea’s Kim and his rockets fired with soul searing regularity while millions starve.
Agreed,Mike
Very good jude free Palestine
thank you James…Ditto.
In my experience of education , Jude, plentiful opportunities were offered for exhibitions of high performance across the arts. Your pessimism is prompted , I feel, by an initial , negative experience at secondary level nearly seventy years ago – one that some of us shared. The World is a different place now, thankfully
I guess you’re right, John. I can’t complain about encouragement in subjects like history and especially English. But Science was scorched earth for me. I’m not really pessimistic, but there is nothing in the arts at second level that matches the good work – and good PR – of Young Scientist…
I am in awe of Deane, Coulter,Hume and Heaney among others from St Columbs who have shared insights and imagination ; not to forget yourself, McCann ,Daithi Sproule and others that I have lost /forgotten over those same years. I am proud of Minnesotas ontributions ,especially the O!Shaughnessy family of St Paul through the O’Shaughnessy poetry award,now in its 27 th year saluting Ireland’s poets .
fuk up