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Science lessons 'on YouTube'

27/11/2008

School science lessons are being hosted on YouTube in order to correct the British public's outdated views on the subject.

Five experiments are being carried out on the video-sharing website, with the most popular being conducted on a massive scale later this year.

The campaign is being launched by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), which aims to help recruit 6,600 extra science teachers over the next two years.

According to the TDA, 3,670 science teachers will be recruited in 2008/09, ahead of the government's target.

But Britons have an outdated view of science teaching, the agency said, citing its own research that showed 17 per cent of respondents thought lessons were enjoyable.

Just 28 per cent said the lessons were interesting, while 16 per cent said the equipment was modern.

Graham Holley, chief executive of the TDA, said the latest recruitment figures were "very encouraging".

"And for the first time ever, the TDA has beaten its annual recruitment target for science," he said.

"This is fantastic news and a testimony to the success of our recruitment campaign. It is great to see that we are attracting a record number of science trainees, and that our hard work is paying off.

"However, we must not be complacent. Over the next two years we need to recruit an additional 6,600 science teachers to meet the expected demand from schools. To do this, it is vital that the TDA continues to invest resources in attracting new and exciting talent to the profession. We need to encourage the best science graduates to become teachers, and this is what we will continue to do with the launch of today's campaign."