Why we need a national science curriculum.

POLITICAL MEDDLING is never very far away in education. The latest incident centres around the debate over whether to have an outcomes-based system, as most of the states and territories promote, or revert to the traditional methods as old as the industrial revolution, supported by most conservatives and the federal government. Whatever the conclusion to this incessant swing of the pendulum, the overhaul will be a one-size-fits-all approach for all subjects inflicted upon an entire school system. Individuality may be education's bridesmaid, but uniformity is its mistress.

Imagining that there could be a universal teaching pedagogy that successfully encompasses the subjectivity of the arts or English compared to the compulsory objectivity of science is impractical, except for lazy politicians. Science must stand above political pedantries to go its own way. Breaching its timidity, science education ought to set its own curriculum, forever exempt from political interference.

Responsibility for curriculum development normally lies with governments; however, the state, territory and Commonwealth governments have proven incapable of crossing their great divides in these educational turf wars. The latest round of mud-slinging, finger-pointing and accusations of self-interest is just one more reinforcement of the public's disdain and fatigue from endless educational reform. If our governments cannot reach long-lasting consensus on these matters, then national subject-based organisations must seize the responsibility to do so.

The most likely and best-suited candidates for this seizure in the sciences are the Australian Institute of Physics, the Australian Institute of Biology, and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. In addition to their strong cadre of leadership in scientific research, each academic body has a highly developed education department comprising teachers, academics and specialists focused on advancing the discipline through rigorous educational programs and policies; these are the necessary ingredients for educational success.

Success will not come easily, nor should it. Even members within these groups will disagree with any one direction of educational reform, but at least reform will be led by those very individuals engaged in the discipline, not by politically appointed bureaucrats.

Admittedly, these organisations have been involved in curriculum design before this present call to arms. But being merely involved is not enough--this declaration is about complete control of the processes and outcomes.

Given the public's outcry over the efficacy of state and territory attempts to introduce outcomes-based assessment regimes, one has to recognise the enormity of the task of achieving curricular reform that pleases all. To be fair, educational change can be very difficult to manage because it involves a comprehensive package covering four especially sensitive aspects of educational policy: the syllabus (its focus and content), pedagogy (teaching methods), assessment (testing system) and reporting (report cards). To begin with, significant steps can be taken in the area of a national science syllabus.