Title: Small-Scale Chemistry
Coordinator(s): M.E.M.
Pestana, J.D.
Bradley, and M.
Cosandey
Remarks: Interaction with UNESCO,
UNECA, ICSU
Objective:
Increasing sophistication of chemistry and decreasing financial
resources for education are both trends which tend to reduce the
extent of practical work offered in formal education, especially
in developing countries. Most chemists agree that practical work
is vital for motivation and interest. Hence the declining capacity
to offer practical experiences is probably a cause of low interest
in chemistry and of the lack of chemically skilled people in these
countries. The effects run deep because when teachers lack practical
experience themselves, they are unlikely to be strong, effective
advocates for the necessary funding. In the same way newly developing
areas of chemistry often get no practical expression, because the
teachers and lecturers lack the knowledge and skills to initiate
anything. Practical experiences that are provided thus tend to become
ossified. Creative groups in a number of countries have been tackling
these problems. CTC has an important role to play in helping disseminate
the ideas, techniques and teaching resources generated by these
groups for their own students. Publications, workshops and conferences
in different regions and languages, will be fostered. Local lecturers
and teachers will interact with experts and generate appropriate
regional strategies. In the long term this will be an important
contribution to the vitality of chemistry teaching in developed
and developing countries.
Progress:
A special issue of the International
Newsletter on Chemical Education (no 45), published during 1997,
was devoted to articles on this subject. An exhibit of several examples
of the equipment used was mounted at the General Assembly in Geneva,
August 1997. A memorandum of accord was signed with UNESCO, CIFFERSE
and RADMASTE during 1997 to promote dissemination of the idea. Flowing
from this, workshops have been conducted in Kenya, Bulgaria, Namibia
and Lesotho using equipment from the RADMASTE Centre.
> Continuation: Project 2001-046-1-050