Taking a break from writing my Premieressay review, I decided to analyze a subject that piques my interest: science education. 

In many ways, proper education can be compared to maintaining a proper diet. You need vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and sugars to function as a human being. Eating only a single food type will make you sick.

The same goes for learning.

It is not enough to simply focus on STEM or the Humanities exclusively. A well-rounded education will incorporate the vital aspects of learning while leaving plenty of room for deeper inquiry if the student’s interest is raised.

Teach science because it works

Depending on who you ask, the world is filled with shades of gray and various levels of subjective perception. Philosophy, art, and even psychology only glimpse the truth because they rely on a hefty degree of perception and opinion bias. 

The same cannot be said about science; your subjective notions do not matter. A rock will weigh 100 pounds even if you never notice it. Water will still boil at the same temperature, and the tides will continue to come in. 

Science is remarkably predictable and almost entirely objective, and it has transformed humans into the most dominant species of the Earth. We wield astounding powers due to science, from flight to instant communication. We can record images, dive to the ocean’s bottom, and grow enough food to feed billions.

It would be foolish not to pass on and proliferate this power to as many people as possible. In fact, humanity’s future depends on our ability to educate future generations about science. 

Science education is essential because it produces results, plain and simple. 

It can now entertain

A common misconception is that people in general, and children in particular, are putt-off by science’s difficulty. 

It may be true that at its highest level, science requires quite a bit of brainpower, yet that is not the reason for the extreme lack of interest. Science education is avoided because it is hard and boring. People have no issue with challenging tasks, as long as they are interesting and engaging.

Science proliferates through a flawed medium. The education system seems to take great care into making even the most exciting subjects seem dull.

Speaking from personal experience, I distinctly remember learning something in school and then forgetting about it in a matter of days. Then, I saw a documentary on the subject a week later. 

The documentary enthralled me, and my interest was piqued.

I was amazed at the contrast between how boring my classes made the subject and how interesting the documentary presented it. 

I was not the first to notice this, and some very clumsy attempts to popularize learning were made. Dubbed “EDUTAINMENT,” some very cheesy cartoons came out of that trend.

Fast forwards past the 2010s, the landscape has changed due to the internet. 

The rise of social media and Youtube have seen a vast influx of user-made content that puts the edutainment shows of my childhood to shame. 

Dozens, even hundreds of channels, pages, and passion projects, are talking about science just for the fun it generates. Some people listen to science Youtube channels while they eat, fall asleep, or clean their house. And these aren’t people who work in STEM.

This popularity may be typical now, but a young person wouldn’t be caught dead learning for fun back in my day. 

Democracy and ignorance are incompatible. 

For as long as humans have been around, the strongest among us have formed a ruling class. These influential and powerful people, otherwise known as nobles, were responsible for not only preparing for war but also educating themselves to rule. 

Private tutors would educate young noblemen in everything some economics, science, warfare, and art. It was a heavy burden and a privilege inherited from father to son. 

If you are reading this, odds are you are living in a democracy. Now, the very same role that used to fall on nobles falls on your shoulders.

As a citizen, you decide who rules over you, encouraging politicians who most represent your preferred laws and policies. 

Science education is vital because informed voters make better decisions when it comes to policy. 

While being ignorant doesn’t necessarily make you stupid ( not knowing something and being unintelligent being two separate things), it does make you very easy to fool. 

Many of life’s truths are counterintuitive, and you cannot rely solely on your ability to reason. Science education teaches us about the realities of our world, presenting facts outside of party politics. 

Direct material benefit

As the market globalizes, the job priorities will be restructured based on certain parameters. Jobs that involve physical labor will generally produce less income. This fact is due to the reality that most able-bodied people can do physical jobs. Also, a world of 7 billion people has plenty of able bodies. 

However, STEM jobs require a more considerable investment. If your job requires you to apply a hefty amount of science, the odds are that it pays more than average. 

Being proficient in medicine, engineering, or IT is a relatively rare skill set because it is complicated, and it requires years of learning. This large commitment requirement will make your aptitudes rarer, thus more valuable. 

Incidentally, there is a debate raging on the Internet regarding college. One side claims that it is a waste of time, while the other says your life will be ruined if you don’t go to University. 

The truth is that going to college isn’t inherently valuable, but learning science is .

You won’t find many starving engineering, programmers, or doctors.

Teaching has the lowest salaries out of all science-aware jobs, and even teachers can earn a decent living after a while. 

Conclusion 

Science education is valuable because the world runs on science. 

People who are science-aware earn higher salaries. Also, science education will encourage thinking critically and analytically on an intuitive level.

Science learning can also be mind-bending, engaging, and entertaining. An entire online industry of science promotion has sprung-up organically without any funding or backing, thus proving the public’s interest in the topic. 

Finally, we have social ramifications. In a 21st century democracy, you don’t get to be ignorant. You, as a citizen, are calling the shots. Each of us has to make informed decisions on topics such as climate change, cancer research, energy production, disease control, etc. 

Not being science-literate is a luxury that modern society can’t afford.