Falling Behind in Science

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Thursday, February 9th, 2006

Kristen DiPaolo | CWK Network Producer

“Usually, the American students that apply [to graduate programs in science] have a very weak background in quantitative science and math, and instead we are importing a lot of students from overseas – from Latin America, Africa, Asia in particular. And so we don’t even find that American students are very competitive in applying to graduate school.

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– Dr. Sarah Pallas, Professor at Georgia State University

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In his most recent State of the Union address, President Bush announced
a plan to boost science education across the country. The problem? American
students are falling behind in science, which could affect their future … and
the nation’s.

Ask students about science, and many say it’s a bore.

“I just felt like some of the class work and stuff was a
little tedious, I guess,” says 16-year-old Margaux Guyonneau. “Chemistry,
for example, I didn’t really care that much for molecular
structure.”

“I think that sciences are a little bit less popular,” says
18-year-old Lauren Spiegel, “but I think that’s because
people aren’t too secure with their own math skills.”

According to the National Academy of Sciences, elementary students
get an average of 16 minutes of science per day. And our 12th graders
test below the international average for science.

Dr. Lee Morris, a high school science teacher, says, “They
are always like, ‘Why are we here? Why are we learning about
this? How is this going to be useful in the rest of our lives?’”

One result of this attitude is that today, most students who apply
to graduate programs in science come from overseas.

“You may have noticed there are no American students in
my own laboratory,” says Dr. Sarah Pallas, a neuroscience
professor at Georgia State University. “Usually the American
students that apply for the program have a very weak background
in quantitative science and math. Instead, we are importing a lot
of students from overseas, from Latin America, Africa, Asia in
particular. And so we don’t even find that American students
are very competitive in applying to graduate school.”

Another result, she says, is that without a work force trained
in the sciences, jobs will be exported.

“Increasingly, factory jobs are being sent overseas,” says
Pallas. “Even telecommunications jobs are being sent overseas.
And what would be left to drive the U.S. economy if not science
and technology?”

What can parents do? She says if your kids show any interest in
science, encourage them all that you can.

“There’s a huge opportunity in biomedical research
for students to enter and do medical research – cutting edge
medical research where they can solve the problem of disease,” says
Pallas.

Spiegel, a senior in high school, says, “I would love to
be a neurologist when I grow up, and so I’m looking at different
schools for neurology, and hopefully I will major in neuroscience.”

Starting in 2007, public schools will be required to issue standardized
testing in science, under the No Child Left Behind legislation.