Essay by Eric Worrall
First published JoNova; Climate Change, Biodiversity, Infectious Diseases and the Water Food and Energy nexus to be the new focus of New Zealand science education?
NZ Teachers Shocked Physics, Chemistry, Biology Missing From New Science Curriculum
By Rebecca Zhu
July 9, 2023Updated: July 9, 2023…
Michael Johnston, senior fellow of the think tank New Zealand Initiative, who was leaked a copy of this initial draft science curriculum by a concerned teacher, said the document was a blueprint for “accelerating the decline of science in New Zealand.”
The Epoch Times has not seen the document.
Mr. Johnston warned that if this draft went through, high school graduates wanting to pursue studies in physical sciences or engineering would need to be taught from scratch by their university.
“Central concepts in physics are absent. There is no mention of gravity, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, mass or motion. Chemistry is likewise missing in action. There is nothing about atomic structure, the periodic table of the elements, compounds or molecular bonding,” he saidof the draft.
Rather than physics, chemistry, and biology, the document proposes teaching science through four contexts that appear to draw from fundamental principles of the United Nation’s Agenda 21: climate change, biodiversity, infectious diseases, and the water, food, and energy nexus.
The New Zealand Education Department claims these concerns are all a big misunderstanding;
… Cathy Buntting co-wrote the draft curriculum and told Newshub it’s about modernising the curriculum.
“It’s proposing to teach those subjects differently, not operating in the silos that have been traditionally the structure of science education in secondary schools.”
The Ministry of Education said in a statement any speculation on the curriculum is premature, as this is a very early draft.
A proper draft document will go out for wider feedback in August and will give educators time to have their say and make changes. …
I can’t help thinking subordinating basic science training to UN agenda talking points is not going to help New Zealand students reach their full potential.
When building a new prototype device or software application for a client, fulfilling the client specification requires knowing where the electrons go and what path they take, not how they feel about their journey.