An interesting article on aging science labs appeared recently in the Boston Globe. It is a timely piece for citizens in Franklin who are looking at an aging high school with similar issues. Here is an excerpt from the article:
Thousands of Bay State high school students conduct experiments in decades-old science labs, some without computers or functioning gas lines, at a time when science has leapt forward to embrace robotics, forensics, and nanotechnology.
At least two-thirds of the 99 public high schools vying for state construction money this year cited outdated science labs among the reasons for building a new school or to renovate and expand an existing building. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, an accreditation group, has noted aging science labs and other deficiencies in placing six Massachusetts schools on probation, a rare action that can lead to a loss of accreditation.
The condition of the labs – many of them built before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon in 1969 – is raising questions about the schools’ ability to prepare students to pass the state’s new high school science exam, a soon-to-be graduation requirement, and to recruit students into careers for the sciences. Education officials will release the first-ever batch of high school science scores tomorrow.
To view the entire article, click here.
