A charity promoting plant science in the classroom is to have its budget cut after a sponsor decided to channel funds into post-16 education, writes Irena Barker.
Science and Plants for Schools, which holds training courses for teachers and produces resources and plant-growing practical kits, said it will have to drop much of its work since the Gatsby Charitable Foundation is to cut its grant of pound;350,000 by two thirds. Paul Beaumont, the organisation’s director, said: “Our programme with PGCE trainees is likely to decline and our well-established workshop programme for teachers and technicians is likely to suffer cutbacks.”
John Gray, senior plant advisor at Gatsby, said it was important now to focus on post-16 education.
The foundation gave pound;5 million in grants to plant biology-related projects in 2005-06. Teachers can still download material.
www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk.
