This is what I call science education

From my regular correspondent:

Transgenic bacterium sparks row in French schools

That’s right, schools. Not universities.

http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110131/full/news.2011.61.html?s=news_rss

Observations:

1. The French science curriculum is clearly far more advanced.
2. The president of some French pressure group against genetic engineering, politics aside, is a dumbass. “I am also concerned that practical classes erode the time spent imparting knowledge of biology,” he adds. Nub. That is usually the most useful content.
3. This gives me an idea for a movie.
4. 
   
   

I would add from myself:

• Sterile lab experience as part of  a school biology curriculum is a great idea. It fits my paradigm of good education: it teaches criteria.
• Also, in my opinion, less technology mediated the learning experience the better. I would love to have in English biology curriculum a more mundane experiments: in the exam, give students two samples of yoghurt and ask to determine which one contains “live culture”.

 

 

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