The genesis of an Adult Education programme in science

Abstract

Science and technology are now part of our everyday lives, and their impact will undoubtedly continue to grow in ever more sophisticated and subtle ways. Inevitably, this will lead to debates and controversy about the ethics and risks that science brings with it; debates in which the general public should be fully engaged. But many adults inevitably feel alienated from any involvement in such a debate because of their lack of scientific knowledge. There is a very urgent need to engage not only young people but also more mature adults in scientific discussion at levels that are both meaningful and serious. In Newcastle we are developing an adult science education programme which brings together local adult education providers, universities and industry to supply a cohesive series of short events which not only allow adults to learn and engage with contemporary science (and how it impacts on their everyday lives), but also offers the opportunity to progress to more advanced courses leading to formal qualifications. In this article we outline the development of this programme which was greatly assisted by the appointment of an ‘Adult Education Fellow’ (funded by The Higher Education Academy Physical Science Centre). Over the course of one year the Fellow established the consortium, identified what the detailed demand was, prepared the course and raised funds ready for its start in 2006.