...while USA's science results draw calls for more focus on its science skills
As the impetus grows in Europe to ensure that more young people understand and take part in science, exemplified by the European Commission's Science week event and its communication on lifelong learning, new figures in the USA have show a worrying decline in its youth's interest and proficiency in science. Science test scores in the USA have declined by a margin that the country's Education Secretary, Rod Paige, described as 'significant'. He was referring to the science results for 2000 which showed that 47 per cent of US school leavers scored below the level described as 'basic'. The survey, which is carried out every four years, showed that while there had been no change in the scores of younger children in the fourth grade and eighth graders (aged around nine and 13 respectively), the scores of 12th graders (pupils in high school of around 17 or 18 years of age) had declined. 'If our graduates know less about science than their predecessors four years ago, then our hopes for a strong 21st century are dimming just when we need them most,' he said. He added that these results threatened not only the country's economic future, but also its national security. Another notable conclusion drawn from the survey was that the difference between white students and those from the ethnic minorities had narrowed - but largely because the scores of the white pupils had dropped. Secretary Paige pointed to the present dependency in the country of thousands of scientists from overseas and claimed that this situation proved that 'something is wrong.' He is set to put in place measures to address the issue, including raising the standard of teaching and making it easier for former military services personnel to move into the teaching profession The news of the results, which are based on results from 240,000 students, came shortly after a report compiled by US senators concluded that 'the need for the highest quality of human capital in science, mathematics and engineering is not being met.'