SCIENCE AT THE SHINE DOME, 2005
President's Address
5 May 2005
Dr Jim Peacock FAA
President, Australian Academy of Science
As President of the Academy, I welcome you to the fifty-first Annual General Meeting and the formal ceremonies of the Australian Academy of Science. It is our tradition to start the day with a short address by the President.
Late in his life, the internationally acclaimed botanist, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, who lived from 1817 to 1911, recalled: When still a child I was very fond of Voyages and Travels; and my great delight was to sit on my grandfather's knee and look at the pictures in Cook's 'Voyages'. The one that took my fancy most was the plate of Christmas Harbour, Kerguelen Land, with the arched rock standing out to sea, and the sailors killing penguins; and I thought I should be the happiest boy alive if ever I would see that wonderful arched rock, and knock penguins on the head.
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Hooker realised his dream in 1839 when he travelled as assistant surgeon on HMS Erebus on a four-year voyage of discovery. In 1865, Hooker replaced his father, Sir William Jackson Hooker, as the Director at the Botanical Gardens in Kew. His early childhood curiosity, nurtured by his grandfather, led him to become one of the leading scientists of his time.
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Now, I am not suggesting that we should encourage young boys in their urge to hit penguins on the head, but there is no doubt that the natural interest of the child is unfettered, excited curiosity.
Another interview, closer to home, was one conducted by historian Ann Moyal in conversation with Ralph Slatyer in the early 1990s. Ralph recalled: My mother inculcated a love of learning particularly of the natural world. She had a special way of arousing one's curiosity, you know, 'Why do you think there are so many colours in flowers?' or 'Why do you think this rock is grey and this one is blue?' or whatever it might have been. Ralph Slatyer, like Joseph Hooker before him, had his curiosity nurtured from an early age. Many of you in the room today may recall similar experiences. Indeed, when I look at the Academy's web pages and glance over the many transcripts of interviews with the Academy's Fellows and other scientists, the nurturing of early curiosity by parents, siblings, mentors, teachers and others is a recurring theme.
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In an interview with Norman Swan, recorded for the Academy, Fiona Stanley said of her father: Neville absolutely loved his science, and for more than just virology. He used to read us fantastic stories by Jean-Henri Fabre about ant and bee colonies and other things which had me enthralled.
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The Academy is committed to ensuring all children across the nation have access to the intellectual excitement that is science. The sad case is that Australia is not very different from the United States, where the President of the National Academies of Science, Bruce Alberts has said: 'Kids start out as natural scientists and school takes away all that natural interest'. He cites an impressive statistic: science is the favorite subject of first graders; by the time those students are in eighth grade, science is their least favourite subject.
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Why should the Academy promote the teaching of science to all children in our schools? It is not because we think that every person should seek a working life in a science-related profession. No, there are several more profound reasons. First, we encourage exposure to science in primary school because we know that early uptake of the notion that knowledge is based on evidence and that evidence is critical for sensible community decision making. We want scientifically literate people with the skills to make informed decisions on issues of science, technology, the environment and their own health and well-being; this is one outcome we strive to achieve.
Second, as scientists it is our professional responsibility to promote the public understanding of science. Public misunderstandings may lead to valuable technology being rejected, because public attitudes influence the statutory framework in which we operate. Public misunderstanding may also lead to misuse of technology; one example is the high patient demand for inappropriate medicines, such as for antibiotic medicine to treat viral diseases. Another purpose of primary school science education is to enhance the understanding of technology, and assessment of changes in technology, by our citizens.
Third, if we are to continue to have a vibrant pool of talented people attracted to research in science and engineering, not to mention talented people attracted to science teaching, then these professions must be valued and exalted, and in many cases funded, by the community at large.
The Academy has made, and continues to make, a special effort to develop a nationwide commitment to the children of Australia, in science education.
During the late 1980s it became increasingly clear that Australian primary school education in science and mathematics was in a poor state of affairs. This was documented in an independent government report in 1989 that concluded that primary science education was in a state of crisis. Council decided to investigate the possibility of the Academy producing materials suitable for primary school science. The first stage of the process involved wide consultation with teachers, teacher organisations and state departments of education, and resulted in the release of a report in 1992 that concluded the way was open for the Academy to develop a comprehensive set of materials for primary school science. David Craig was President of the Academy at that time and Neville Fletcher was appointed chair of a Project Advisory Committee to develop the primary science project known as Primary Investigations, an integrated whole-school program, from kindergarten to year 6.
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The materials developed consisted of seven teacher resource books and five student work-books. Funds for the project, estimated at rather more than $500,000, were obtained from CRA Ltd, from four federal government departments and from the Academy and the Fellows themselves. During 1993 an extensive trialling process was carried out in 38 schools, and Primary Investigations was launched at Garran Primary School in Canberra by the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology and by the President of the Academy, Gus Nossal, in November 1994. It is estimated that about 40 per cent of primary schools across the nation implemented at least some aspects of Primary Investigations in the daily activities of their students.
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In 2002, the Academy, together with the Department of Education, Science and Training, funded an independent evaluation of Primary Investigations. The evaluation found that Primary Investigations had made a significant positive contribution to science education in Australian primary schools, but that revision was necessary to meet contemporary needs.
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In late 2003 I chaired a working group presentation to the Prime Minister's Science, Education and Innovation Council called Science Engagement and Education. This presentation and report introduced the notion of science in literacy for primary school children. That is, we recognised the many demands on primary school teachers, not the least of which was the requirement that much time must be devoted to the worthy topic of literacy. So our idea is that science can be integrated into the teaching of literacy.
With seed funding from the Academy, we embarked on a feasibility study for a new project in primary science, consulting with state and territory education departments, seeking advice from experts not only in science education but also in the teaching of literacy skills. Following a successful proof-of-concept in 2004, the Department of Education, Science and Training provided $1.8 million to develop and trial the program called PrimaryConnections.
The program is based on the philosophy of the Chinese philosopher and reformer Confucius, who lived from 551 BC to 479 BC: 'I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand'.
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In January this year, a week-long professional learning workshop was held in the Shine Dome for 105 primary teachers from 56 schools across Australia. The schools include public, Catholic education and independent schools. Three schools, including Larapinta Primary School in Alice Springs, have included an indigenous focus in their trial. Curriculum material is being trialled at four stages of primary schooling, early stage 1 for kindergarten; stage 1 for years 1 and 2; stage 2 for years 3 and 4, and stage 3 for years 5 and 6. The first four units are Weather in my world, Push-pull power, Plants in action and Build it better. Other units are under various stages of development, including one prepared from an indigenous perspective.
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Follow-up one-day workshops have been held in the various states in mid-term 1 and at the end of term 1 and have provided useful feedback from the teachers to the project leaders and curriculum writers.
It is our great ambition, once the product is as good as it can possibly be, to take PrimaryConnections from 56 trial schools into 8000 primary schools across the nation. This will be possible only through a partnership between federal and state and territory jurisdictions. PrimaryConnections has been overseen, from the very beginning, by a reference group comprised of experts in science education and in the teaching of literacy representing every state and territory department of education.
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We are optimistic that PrimaryConnections will help our children, and those who teach them, maintain their curiosity about the world around them and on the basis of their own investigations, make evidence-based conclusions. I thank all those, under the leadership of John McKenzie, our Secretary for Education and Public Awareness, who are working so hard to realise our dream of vibrant, curiosity-driven primary school children and ultimately, a scientifically literate citizenry. In particular, I recognise with great appreciation the critical early contributions of Marian Heard and the exemplary work of Claudette Bateup in implementing phase 2 of PrimaryConnections.
The Academy's contributions to science for high school students continue, with the regular addition of topical issues to our electronic science pages known as Nova: Science in the News. A recent new topic is on the science of tsunamis, soon to be followed by topics on avian influenza and on learning from insects to inspire the engineering of robots. I am hopeful that in the very near future I'll be able to tell you about another new and exciting initiative in science for secondary schools.
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Meanwhile, the Academy has also kept a strong focus on nurturing early-career researchers. Underpinning all of our activities is the awareness that we need to engage and encourage our early to mid-career researchers, not only for their own career development, but also because they have so much to offer! That is why we are pleased that so many of you can join us in our AGM week.
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In October 2004 the Academy held its third annual think tank for young researchers, on this occasion to discuss emerging diseases in humans, animals, plants and aquatic organisms. The meeting was held in Brisbane and opened by Julie Campbell. The resulting report was widely commended and was submitted to the Secretaries of several federal government departments.
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The 2005 fourth annual think tank will be held in Darwin, in collaboration with Charles Darwin University, on the topic 'Innovative Technological Solutions for Northern Australia.' Once again, it will be a national event, but will provide a special opportunity to include young people from the local region.
As part of the Academy's involvement with younger scientists, the second meeting of Australian Frontiers of Science was held in April 2005, at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, and was opened by Suzanne Cory. Involvement of recent winners of science prizes for younger researchers ensured a first-rate and stimulating program across a broad range of disciplines. The aim of the Australian Frontiers of Science symposia is to bring together the very best young scientists to discuss emerging technologies, new opportunities and exciting advances in their fields. The presentations are to their peers, across many disciplines, and the feedback about potential innovative collaborations has been very positive.
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At the end of the day, the place where public acceptance is given expression is the parliament. Public attitudes towards science and technology ultimately impact public funding of research. The Academy, through its Fellows and in recent times by drawing on the talents of our younger colleagues, has a proud record of engaging the community in debate and of providing sound and instructive advice to government. This week is no exception. Tomorrow the Academy, in presenting the annual symposium on the topic of 'Recent Advances in Stem Cell Science and Therapies', plans to ensure that the very best international science is available to policy makers; once again, governance may be soundly informed by scientific evidence.
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The understanding and application of science are fundamental to the prosperity of modern nations. It is incumbent on us all, as a professional responsibility of working scientists, to promote the public awareness of science.
