A recent article and blog post about schools limiting science lab experimentation due to health and safety rules caught our attention. We are interested to hear what our readers have to say on this subject!
[PHOTO CREDIT: Times OnLine CAPTION: "Schools have banned experiments seen as dangerous, even though they teach vital skills."]
According to the article, “White coats, goggles and the chance to set fire to things foster a passion for chemistry that even years of examinations do not extinguish. But government advisers and eminent scientists are warning of a disturbing development that could endanger generations of future scientists: pupils are no longer allowed to experiment.” We know that even substances like super glue
can fall into this banned list because it can be considered hazardous. But how do students, and future scientists, learn if they aren’t able to conduct hands on experiments under adult supervision?
Paul Decelles, in his LJWorld Blogs does a good job of describing both sides of the debate. On the one hand ““Many of the experiments we did handling strong acids wouldn’t be allowed today, but learning to handle dangerous materials teaches you how to deal with things sensibly,” however, on the other side of the debate schools are arguing “But we’re moving on to different ways of teaching science — with videos, and on the web with virtual learning environments which are quite as interesting. It’s a different way of learning but it should still be able to turn them on. What you need is inspirational teachers.”
This blogger* tends to think that learning to properly handle dangerous chemicals, under proper supervision, is what learning, science and school is all about and nothing substitutes for “hands on experimentation” under safe, supervised school science lab conditions.
So readers, what do you think? Will rules and regulations erring on the side of caution, limit true experimentation and stifle future scientists or can inspirational teachers and virtual experimentation simulate real life experimentation effectively while protecting young learners from unnecessary harm? We hope you’ll weigh in on this important debate!
[*Note: The opinion stated here is only that of this blogger and in no way reflects the opinion of Super Glue Corporation.]
Hands on is a very important learning style, what next, banning pens and pencils because some one could get poked, banning paper because of paper cuts? To say nothing of the radiation emitted from computers, maybe we should ban school, and let the kids get an education from the real world.