Discover Science & Engineering (DSE) has announced that 511 primary schools received an Award of Science Excellence this year as part of the Discover Primary Science progamme. The awards programme which is organised by Discover Science & Engineering, the Government’s national science promotion programme, acknowledges the efforts of primary school children and teachers who have demonstrated an increased knowledge of science and its many applications.
Since the programme’s inception in 2004 when approximately 500 schools were registered for the project, Discover Primary Science now has in excess of 3,000 schools involved with over 3,700 teachers registered. The Discover Primary Science programme was recently recognised by an international panel as having played an important role in the rollout in the primary school science curriculum. Teachers noted in the evaluation that Discover Primary Science has had a positive impact on raising primary students’ interest in science, with DPS materials having become core materials for many primary schools.
Commenting on the Awards of Science Excellence, Peter Brabazon, programme director Discover Science & Engineering, stated, “All participating students and teachers deserve enormous credit for partaking in the Discover Primary Science project, with special congratulations to all those schools who have won an Award of Science Excellence this year.
“The science skills that students acquire while participating in Discover Primary Science will stand to them as they continue with their education, and hopefully will spark an interest for them in later life in the areas of science, engineering and technology.”
In applying for an Award of Science Excellence, schools were required to keep a Discovery Log recording science related work carried out throughout the year. Credits were awarded for completing a certain number of activities from the DPS classroom activity pack as well as visiting one of the DPS accredited Discover Science Centres. Additional credits were awarded for taking part in a number of other DSE programmes including the Greenwave project, a mass science experiment recording the arrival of spring in Ireland, as well as contributing to Science Week, DSE’s annual national week long promotion of science and engineering.
This year, as a result of feedback from primary school teachers the decision has been made to restructure the format for presenting the Awards of Science Excellence. Instead of limiting the participation to three students per school at a regional ceremony as was previously the case, successful schools will now receive a plaque and certificates in a special ‘Awards of Science Excellence Pack’, allowing each school to make their own arrangements to celebrate this wonderful achievement. This change allows every student from the winning schools along with their local communities to participate in a celebration at a time that is convenient for them.
For more information visit www.discover-science.ie
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