There is approximately a third of Australians got the answers wrong in a recent survey about science. Only 3 or 4 percent of 1,500 people got them all correct. About 30 percent of the population was not being able to answer general knowledge questions like how much of the Earth is covered by water or how much of the water is fresh correctly. Moreover, they think reptiles or dinosaurs and humans were alive at the same time. Dr Foley, president of the Australian Scientific and Technological Societies, says science literacy should be about people being able to use science in a number of ways such as to make good decisions when they are going to the polls, and to be able to understand the issues which are also scientifically based like energy, food security, climate change, nanotechnology, etc. Furthermore, Dr Foley says that Australia finds itself in a grey situation where the number of science and mathematics teachers is declining because 30 and 50 percent of science and mathematics teachers are going to be retiring in the next 5 to 10 years. Australians are in need of investing as much as they can into making sure they have strong teachers, who everyone has to agree are probably one of the most fundamental groups of people in society that make them what they are.In conclusion, at present, amount of Australian students being interested in science and general knowledge are dwindling gradually. Likewise in Thailand, because of many factors including disinterest of news and education, substantial amounts of students lack of general knowledge; moreover, they even do not know some easy questions.
Cresit: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/30/2968669.htm
By: Simon Santow
Date: 30/ June/ 2010
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