The Role of Chemical Education
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.;--,, -~imm . . . . . . . . .. mi#&,.---rn**fi;; &&&&or nneonsemusly by both aotron and mactron all saentrs@ dontribute &I the x continuous evolution of the role of science in society. There is widespread recognition that much that is now dono in chemical eduostion in the schools. the eolleees. ,. , and the emduate schools is indeed ~ X ~ P I I U O!I, I ils pl'ep~r9li~11 of 51.1C1111>1>. 1Iowevct; the rrpull inxn t h o i!tlwl.ali~~nd CallI.Chwnicnl I.:J~.LI.R-~oT~ 91 : j ~ . l j w m ni n~ ~1070, (he KSt' I F ~ W I S I W I . CVdwalion-The C IPIL.IICU 'I',,+ \Iw?d fc I thr C ~ t i ~ mSaVl I ~ I I W1~1.u.tlntiot~'' nud the bmj>nrlm, $.f CI.I'.ACC 11w Cl.emwd Education Planning and Coordiuatina Committee) within the ACS, all indicate that scientists recogniae the need ta &seas the role of science and science education in our society. ; There is increasing recognition that the scientific oommunit,y has a responsibility to those indi; vidudls interested in the nature of the natural Dhenomena that surround them and interested in the scientific bases of the technological society tdat engulfs them bot not interested in the sciences professionally. If we really can and do devise programs that allow the intellectually curious and the ' soeidly concerned to explore the fimdamentd qwstions science seeks to answer and the boundaries set by scientific phenomena on the options open t,o society, without submerging them in the techniealit,ies of our discipline, then we shall have given to theseindividuals theopportunity to grow in- 1 1 tellectually and in so doing attain an element of self-respect and also an element of respect for scien- , tifie phenomena now denied to so many. This applies equally well to those who might be reached j through the public media as well as the school systems. ; There is an increasing recognition that the scientific community has a responsibility to not only
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amore realistic concept of their role as a.scientist in ademoeraticsociety. There is an increasing recognition that the scientific community has a responsibility to itself to en- : courage and enable scientists not only to continue to grow in professional competence in their eho- 3 sen specialty but, also to encourage and enable them to explore other professional interests within .' the scientific professions and outside the scientific professions. Those individuals who do discover ~ ~.....rn w s n e c tintwests d ...... and mnke -~ . . . . . . -..-t.nl*nt,s .m .-> n v . ..-...unmirsl cont,rihut,ions and have a wonderfd time -~ in the process. To a large degree, we are all prisoners of our training, our experiences and thevalue systems which Imrrounds us. Change requires imaginstion, initiative, and the investment of effort. Even ' ~~
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degree that in which vou have ~ersonallvinvested so much and that which you have censored others ! for not d Onepl I scientific .-..-. , ,. ....... . . h w e sot._. ... ,......-. -.......-. ..,. hases, etc. Many forays into t,hese no-man's land with one or mare colleagues from other disci- ' plines would undoubtedly be snpeifieial. They could, however, he stimulating experiences from i whichfunda,mentsl programs, happy students, and more competent faculties would emerge. : Due to the number of students involved. the wide ranee of abilities, the wide range of interests, and the indefinite state of oersonal eoals. the ereetest eh~lleneesand the greatest 06~ortunitiesfor ; ,. 1 nmovation lie in the seconhary sehkls and tge early years of oollege. %e me de&g with more than the transfer of technical information. The dignity of individuals and the role of science in our society are a t stake here. : The time is right for innovations: not the innovations to attract larger numbers of students into 1 ; t h e chemical profession but the innovations to make the study of chemistry rewarding to more students and the innovations to encourage chemists to become more versatile. For the first time in a quarter of a century we have m adequate supply of able chemists inberested in teaching. hfoneys, ,nnfortunetely, are in short supply hut i t is clciar that foundations are interested in innovations in science educstiori and that the level of fundine will he related to the aualitv of the oroerams ~ r o -
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