MPs warn over lack of science experiments in schools

14 September 2011

Many secondary school pupils are receiving inadequate practical science lessons, a committee of MPs has warned.

The report, published today by the Commons Science and Technology Select Committee, indicates that schools are failing to provide pupils with the science experiments and field trips needed for a good science education.

MPs claimed that a lack of science facilities and lab technicians, in addition to a shortage of well-trained and confident teachers, are to blame for the decline in the provision of practical experiments. The report also found that teachers may be using health and safety concerns as an excuse not to carry out practical sessions.

In response to the problem, MPs are calling for an exam to be introduced that tests pupil’s laboratory skills, in order to ensure the best use of science facilities.

In order to aid the focus of science in UK schools and to combat the lack of adequate school science facilities, education specialist LapSafe® Products has introduced the ExplorerLAB™ mobile science lab. This science trolley is a fully mobile science laboratory and teaching platform to deliver interactive science experiments from anywhere within a school building and beyond.

The ExplorerLAB™ science cart comes complete with all of the equipment that you would expect to find in a traditional fixed laboratory, including a fully functioning sink and tap, compacted into a mobile trolley. The science cabinet complies with all British safety standards and has been CE and SASO certified to alleviate any health and safety concerns. All manufacture conforms to ISO 9001 : 2008 specifications, and particular attention has been paid to ensure that the unit’s surface provides resistance to corrosion and rust, which could occur from the result of a chemical spill.

Source: The Guardian and Education Executive