The State of Chemistry Worldwide In the recent past, this page has carried various commentaries on the sorry state of chemistry and chemical education in the United States. Alas, the general malaise seems to be pandemic, not epidemic. A recent, informal, private survey of the members of the IUPAC Committee on Teaching Chemistry indicated a more-or-less parallel impression of the depressed state of chemistry throughout the world. As is the case in this country, the committee members believe that most people in the world exhibit a dichotomous view of chemistry and science. They feel that people generally believe that science and technology are beneficial to the quality of their lives, but that they have a poor opinion of chemistry per se. The educational systems of the world seem to be producing fewer chemists, in spite of the widely held opinion that the need for chemists is greater today than it was even five years ago. Other educational systems appear to be experiencing the same general problems with respect to their constituencies, both teachers and students. Fewer precollege students express an interest in science today than did five years ago, and, of those who do, fewer still are interested in pursuing chemistry as a profession. The adequacy of elementary school science teaching is perceived to he low, and the number of secondary school chemistry teachers is insufficient for the task a t hand. The American experience, then, is not unique, and little is to be gained by seeking in other parts of the world for solutions andlor guidance. The world-wide responses to these problems sound all too familiar. Just as in the United States, the poor status accorded chemistry in the public's mind is heing countered by efforts to increase the public's understanding of science. The media are being used to increase
public awareness of the benefits that flow from chemistry and of the critical role that extrascientific and technical arguments play in deciding science policy. Attempts that have been made to improve students'image of chemistry are also remarkably similar in a number of countries. Information and experiences are being provided through a variety of techniques-printed materials, television, and hands-on experiences. In-service teacher-training programs as well as improved preservice programs have many elements in common with the American attempts. The message of the informal survey is clear. Precious little is to be gained from studying each other's experiences or attempts to solve the far-reaching problems that currently face science education. There is a perverse solace and comfort in that observation, and i t leaves us with one clear choice, i.e., to continue on the vector we have established. We must realize that there is no easy way out of this predicament, which has evolved through neglect. The extended inattention that produced this situation must now be countered by a similar extended attention to the details that have been ignored. It's going to be a long, hard pull to bring our system of science education back to the position of pre-eminence i t once enjoyed. No one element of the solution can be stressed more than another. Further, each member of our educational system has a serious obligation to do what he or she can, directly and indirectly, to support the effort to bring it back. The process may be slow, but constant and continuing attention is our only hope. With sustained, quality attention and through our combined efforts, science education, and more specifically chemical education, in the United States can regain a position of prominence. JJL
Volume 85
Number 11
November 1988
935
