A NEW AS-level course - “Science for Public Understanding” - is currently being piloted before being launched by the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) next academic year.
The course, which tackles most of the big science based issues - health, the environment, energy resources, the nature of the universe itself - is designed to be accessible to all sixth-formers. The expectation is that in some schools it will form part of a compulsory core.
Coursework, which will make up 25per cent of the course, will enable students to tackle up-to-the-minute events, and there is also a requirement for reading and commenting on books by science writers.
A series of presentations on the course is being held in venues around the country. Enquiries about these, and about all other aspects of the course, can be made to AQA-NEAB 31-33 Springfield Avenue, Harrogate, HG1 2HW. Tel: 01423 840015Fax 01423 523678e-mail science@neab.ac.ukNEAB website has a lot of information: www.neab.ac
