The United Kingdom’s Labour Party is reportedly looking to “decolonize” science curricula to highlight findings from “other cultures.”
According to a report from The Daily Mail, science lessons may be made less “Western” under the direction of Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. After its July victory, the Labour Party aimed to review education and stated it must be indicative of the “issues and diversities of our society.” The review is being led by Professor Becky Francis, whose area of focus is education inequalities.
Leading science groups, including the Royal Society of Biology, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the Institute of Physics, have emphasized the importance of sharing “non-Western” contributions to the community. Students should be taught why some cultures were “less able to claim credit and ownership for ideas,” the report says.
The Royal Society of Biology’s submission to the call for education recommendations said, as per The Daily Mail, “It is essential that all children feel included in the sciences by valuing their experiences and through the thoughtful use of contexts, imagery and narratives.”
“Teachers should be encouraged to frame historic examples of scientific discoveries in the context that some individuals, groups, cultures and nations were disadvantaged in their ability to participate in or to resource research and less able to claim credit and ownership for ideas that had been developed by them,” the suggestion said. The Royal Society of Biology sought expertise on “decolonising the curriculum.”
Tory Member of Parliament Laura Trott said the Labour Party’s curriculum changes will “drive down educational standards.”
Instead of continuing with a rich, knowledge-based curriculum which has led to our children being the best readers and mathematicians in the Western world, they are tearing it all up,” Trott said. “Pure education vandalism once again.”
