The Friday Morning Lecture
Science Education Reform in the Developing Countries Sippanondha Ketudat Minister of Education Kingdom of Thailand
Abstract Following a review of the disenchantment in the developing countries prior to the late sixties, with the educational system's inability t o provide a process of gradual modernization and expansion of the science curricula, the science educators initiated change which was later enhanced by an overall system-wide education reform in many countries in Asia. Differing organizations for curriculum reform as well as implementation and nationwide evaluation are described. The system and processes of reform in many countries particularly in Thailand have been possible because of the catalytic function arising from an exchange of ideas among science educators within the Asian region and from outside. Today most developing countries in Southeast Asia unlike many western countries will expect education and especially science and technical education to provide a base for modernization and development in harmony with cultural and national environment. The cry for a relevant science and technology for development at dl educational levels which can benefit man appropriately, has also been heeded in a regional .. . manner.
Selected Paragraphs An Overview Education has been highly valued by developing countries as a basic fundamental instrument for development. By development, I mean, a process of enabling people to attain
ideals and aspirations that they could not achieve before--that is to learn and apply information, attitudes, values and skills previously unavailable to them. Learning is not usually enough by itself. Most aspects of development require capital investment, followed by scientific and technical processes. But capital, scientific and technical processes are inert without human knowledge and effort. Science Education Reform: Stimuli and the Thai Example Science education in most developing countries before the Second World War was patterned after that in industrialized developed countries in the west. Textbooks and equipment were imported. Science was taught with heavy emphasis on retention of facts without any concern for relevance. Formulae were to be memorized. Examples and problems were those of the west. The few laboratories and experimental exercises, if they existed at all, were for demonstration. Teachers, many of them foreigners, onducted experiments for demonstration to large classes of students. Science was even more foreign than a foreign language. Science was abstract fact to be memorized. Science was indeed foreign.
Volume 59
Number 2
February 1982
101
In many countries in the developing world, Thailand included, science education reform spearheaded the broader reform of the educational system. In many developing countries, especially in the past three decades, education carried with it a national unification purpose as well as a requirement that it met the needs of rapid development, modernization and even equilization of opportunities in society; science was expected to be one of the tools for such purposes. I t is important to regard science education reform in developing countries as a part of the development process, and not as a s e ~ a r a t academic e exercise. ~he'ohjectivesof the Thai science curricula reform were to help the student to acquire scientific knowledge which could be applied directly to his daily life and also would show the value of conservation of natural resource and natural habitats and would induce him I,, oh,erve hi3 uwn luc:tl cnvirmment and aa\. of lite. 'l'hcscirntifir ikillsdwt~lopedcould he syl)lied t o the prohlems of his personal life as well as to thesocial welfare of the community. Many scientists in Asia could not help recalling that in the eastern concept, the purpose of living and learning is not to exploit nature or to overpower it, but to understand, appreciate, love and also live in harmony with nature. That, to
102
Journal of Chemical Education
many, may seem to he the key to the future guidelines for science education reform and innovation. Looking to the furelating to Man andthe Environment. Man must learn to live peacefully with other human beings, with societv and its heritaee. " and with nature. The foreeoine statement implies, for science education and science educators. that we must learn the oroblems and issues of health care. preventive and curative; fdod and agriculture; clothing and housing; land and water, energy; science, technology and society. Science and technology education which concerns the life and living of all people should he made accessible to all children and all people; for in the long run we will never he able to solve any of the individual, national, regional or global problems if only some children and some people learn how to iive in harmon; with nature and society, whiie others are neglected to remain ignorant and to lead their lives in vacuum without direction. Science and technology education for human and societal development is Science and Technology in Harmony with Nature.
