Why do Catalan children know more English than physics or biology?

Everyone remembers how The PISA tests revealed the low level of our students in mathematics or reading comprehension. These tests also revealed a low level in science, but few talk about this, even though Catalan students' knowledge of biology, technology, and earth sciences is eight points below the Spanish average and that of OECD countries. In this same vein, the basic skills tests administered by the Generalitat (Catalan government) in sixth grade show that science receives the worst scores of all subjects. In the last year evaluated, 2025, science is the only subject with a failing grade. No other subject has such poor results. Catalan children know more English than physics or geology.

These data suggest that the low level of scientific literacy among our children originates in primary education, the stage that spans roughly from ages five to twelve, and which many consider a wasted opportunity. Children of these ages possess boundless curiosity. It is the perfect time for them to understand that matter is made of atoms, to grasp how life is organized, what energy is, and how forces operate.

But very often this is not the case, and science is generally under-taught in primary school. The causes are multiple, but experts believe there are two basic structural problems: on the one hand, the Catalan primary curriculum (the syllabus) is very vague, which makes it difficult for teachers to know what they should be teaching in class (and that's not even mentioning the other subjects). as neither whenThis lack of definition means that each teacher has to think for themselves about what needs to be taught, and it's "like each doctor having to think about the treatment for each patient without a protocol," says Anna Marbà, professor of science education at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).The Department of Education is developing more specific guidelines, but they are not prescriptive. According to Marbà, these guidelines "should properly constitute the curriculum." At least in many other countries, the curriculum details what to teach, when, and how.

The second major obstacle, and perhaps the main one, is that Most primary school teachers have limited scientific knowledge.In fact, the last time they had any contact with science was when they were in their third year of secondary school (ESO) and took compulsory courses in physics, chemistry, or biology. They were fifteen years old. After that, most aspiring teachers chose high school options that allowed them to skip any science subjects. Therefore, "many teachers have a rather superficial understanding of scientific topics, or a complete lack of knowledge," says Victor Grau, a professor in the teacher training master's program at the University of Barcelona. This is no secret; "the teachers themselves realize it and admit it," Grau points out.

All of this has emotional implications: "Aspiring teachers arrive with fear and rejection towards science, especially physics and chemistry," says Carolina Pipitone, professor of science education at the UB. A study in which this researcher participated The study indicates that negative emotions among teacher training students are common in relation to chemistry and physics, with insecurity (45.35%), worry (34.88%), and frustration (20.93%) being the most prevalent. The result, Pipitone states, is that "if science scares you, you won't work with your students in it." And this is precisely what ends up happening in many cases, a situation exacerbated by a vague curriculum.

The key: better teacher training

However, this is a global problem. A study by the University of Twente in the Netherlands, conducted some twenty years ago, already pointed to teachers' lack of confidence in their ability to work with scientific ideas, which leads them to dedicate less time to these subjects. As a result, a program was launched in the Netherlands that, over three years, provided training to 5,000 teachers and has helped to correct the identified deficiencies.

Training seems to be the key to improving the situation. There are motivated teachers who want to be trained, because many are aware that they need to improve. Training programs also exist, but they are few, attendance is voluntary, and they are always held during teachers' free time, after work, or on Saturday mornings. Anna Marbà believes that "a significant number of teachers should be freed up, for example one day a week, so that they can receive adequate training."

And despite the precariousness and reliance on volunteerism, successful initiatives are underway: the Petits Talents Científics program has trained hundreds of teachers for twelve years, an "exceptional" duration, as "most training programs last very little time," according to Jordi Martí, the program coordinator and a professor at UVic. Meanwhile, CESIRE (the continuing education center of the Department of Education), among other activities, is currently offering intensive science training to seventy teachers who, in the future, "will become trainers and role models for science education, spread throughout the region," explains Sandra Memminger, the center's science coordinator. CESIRE is also conducting a pilot program to train the entire teaching staff of seventeen schools. These are good initiatives, but it's important to remember that there are nearly 4,000 preschool and primary schools in Catalonia. There's still a long way to go. Experts are calling for an ambitious, comprehensive plan that guarantees the systematic training of a large number of science teachers and their teaching methods. This requires organization and funding, and only the Department of Education can implement it; that's where all eyes are now focused. Catalonia has a lot at stake. It will be difficult to maintain our level of research, which is good but modest, if students receive a poor basic education. And it's disheartening to produce citizens who will find it harder to distinguish the wheat from the chaff in a world full of... fakes and pseudosciences. As Víctor Grau points out, scientific knowledge "is fundamental to understanding reality and fostering critical thinking, and should be part of everyone's general culture."