A senior science teacher at St. Mary’s College in Crosby has again been making his mark at national level.  Bob Johnston, the school’s Head of Science, has just had an article published in the journal of the prestigious Galton Institute, a learned society which promotes public understanding of human heredity.  Mr Johnston was recently awarded a fellowship by natural history organisation the Linnean Society, an honour previously given to Sir David Attenborough.  Prior to this he was made a Fellow of the Institute of Biology for his contribution to the teaching of the subject over more than three decades.  Mr Johnston’s Galton Institute article - ‘The Teaching of Genetics in Secondary Schools’ - calls for exam boards to stop ‘dumbing down’ the biology curriculum at GCSE and A Level.  He explains: “It’s important for exam boards to move with the times and give students the opportunity to experience the excitement and challenges offered by real genetics.”  The Head of Science certainly practises what he preaches at St. Mary’s by teaching beyond the boundaries of the A Level curriculum.  This gives students the chance to learn more about essential tools of the molecular geneticist that they would not normally encounter until university.  St Mary’s Principal, Mike Kennedy, commented: “Biology remains one of the most popular A Level choices at the college and our sixth formers continue to achieve excellent results, thanks to Bob Johnston’s hard work and dedication to the subject.  “As well as being a great credit to him, Bob’s achievements with organisations like the Linnean Society and the Institute of Biology help to fly the flag for St. Mary’s at national level,” added Mr Kennedy.  Bob Johnston is a Life Member of the Galton Institute. Prominent members of the organisation in the past have included economist John Maynard Keynes and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.

Please click on the link below to read a copy of the published article:

galton_institute_rj2011_0001.pdf

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