Maintaining scientific literacy in the 21st century is a challenge. In many countries the numbers of school children studying science and the numbers of science graduates teaching science are falling. The subject is often seen, particularly at the secondary level, as ‘boring’, or ‘too hard’, or both. Reversing this trend is essential for the future.

The debate has been around both what is to be taught to pupils and how. Strategies which have been adopted include:

•The move to a broad and balanced science curriculum for all pupils;
•The close involvement of teachers in curriculum and examination development;
•Giving teachers greater freedom to innovate and take risks;
•Developing new approaches to practical work, including new equipment;
•The availability of subject based continuous professional development with dedicated funding.

This seminar will address a number of the key issues in school science education: the nature of scientific literacy and its implications for the curriculum, teaching methods, assessment, the initial training and continuing professional development of science teachers, and the world outside the classroom, which are faced by many Ministries of Education throughout the world.

The seminar will be hosted by The National Science Learning Centre which opened in October 2005 on the campus of the University of York. This is housed in a purpose built, high-tech venue, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Department for Education and Skills, which is reputed to be the only such dedicated residential training facility for science teachers in the world. It leads professional development for school science teachers and technicians throughout the UK. There will be an opportunity to use the excellent laboratories and other facilities of the Centre and we are exploring the possibility of arranging video link-ups.

We would like to thank the Royal Society, Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry for their generous support of this seminar.