Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I am delighted that science is part of his portfolio. I was very fortunate to attend Newbridge College, back in the 1950s, where we had a marvellous science teacher, Fr. Michael Casey. Everybody did science. We had a great laboratory and a great teacher. Later on, Fr. Casey became a professor of science in Maynooth. We studied physics, chemistry, physiology and botany. It is important that we get our young people interested in and enthused about all of these areas of science. The concept of Science Week is important in encouraging children to become interested in science.

There are other things we could do to promote an interest in science. Do we need more of a push to promote science as a career rather than just as a subject? A group of legislators in the United States came up with a Bill recently to promote the creation of a science laureate who would be tasked with exciting children about careers in science. The Bill was defeated politically, but the question of how to promote science among students remains relevant, particularly in this country. Senator Clune's comments reminded us of this.

Should we consider getting more impetus at a political level? While science is taught in schools and while Science Week raises significant interest, it is interesting to see what is going on in the United States. There is a youth organisation in the US called the 4-H Club. This club has been around for a long time and was to do with agriculture originally. The 4-H stands for heart, head, hands and health. The club is administered by the US Department of Agriculture and it aims to spread science ideas among young people. Some 2 million children attend the group's clubs and camps, while millions more follow the 4-H programmes in schools. The group reaches approximately one out of every three children in farming in states such as Nebraska and it has a great focus on agriculture and the science behind it. I mention this club because I believe we should have a debate here on genetically modified foods. I believe there is a danger that we will lose out unless we consider the situation in this regard. If we who are in the agrifood business ignore the trends and changes, we are in serious danger of falling behind. Children in the 4-H clubs do a variety of projects such as looking after egg incubators in schools, dissecting a pig's eye, analysing farm animal diseases or starting their own organic farm projects. We should do something similar here. This is an American idea in that it twins the great outdoors with personal development and how to make money from it - what we call entrepreneurship.

Ireland remains an agricultural country and the fact the sector is making a comeback in recent times may be reason to consider the example of the 4-H Club. I know we have Macra na Feirme, but the 4-H Club's combining of hard science and agriculture and how to make money from them is very interesting. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, wants to introduce significant reform. Agricultural science would appear to be a logical step in that regard and would be more relevant than some of the current subjects taught. Some amazing things are happening in the area of personalised learning. Rocketship is a chain of seven charter schools in California that blend traditional teaching with at least one hour a day of individualised online instruction in mathematics, literature and comprehension. Its low-income students outperform those students living in the wealthiest districts of the same state.

Another school in North Carolina introduced personalised learning on laptops for all students aged ten and over in the year 2000. Between then and 2012, the proportion of the pupils considered proficient in maths, science and reading rose from 73% to 88%. Bill Gates of Microsoft fame, who follows developments in education technology and whose foundation funds some such developments, refers to this as a special time in education. We have a great deal to learn in respect of this matter.

Some years ago, I was very fortunate to get to know James Watson who, along with his colleague, Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA - the double helix - in 1953. Both were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962. James Watson comes to Ireland every year, visits Trinity College and usually comes to our home. We have got to know him well and we have also visited him at his home. He is 85 years of age but it remains a joy to meet and speak to him. When he came to Ireland this year, a group of us arranged for him to unveil a lovely piece of sculpture - the double helix sculpture - in the Botanic Gardens. Anyone who has not already visited the latter should make a point of doing so. The Botanic Gardens are huge but they are also very educational. I am sure people will visit in much larger numbers in the future.

As stated on previous occasions, I would love to see greater focus on teaching entrepreneurship in schools, perhaps even at primary level. Entrepreneurship is taught in schools in Norway with support from, among others, that country's Ministry of Trade and Industry and local businesses. The Norwegian strategy is aimed at developing knowledge and comprehension relating to entrepreneurial activities in students in order to strengthen their belief in their own capabilities and creative force. I am of the view that science can help a great deal in this regard.

Science Week provides us with the opportunity to pursue that to which I refer with vigour, enthusiasm and a huge commitment that will benefit the entire country. I am delighted that this debate is taking place. I am strongly of the view that the efforts to promote Science Week will bear fruit not just immediately but also in the years to come. I congratulate the Minister of State on those efforts.