Searching for young scientists

Former West Australian chief scientist Lyn Beazley has championed the cause for hundreds of Bunbury school children to peer into the microscopic world in the hope of addressing an acute shortage of scientists in Australia.

Last week the Rotary Club of Freshwater Bay presented 12 Bunbury primary schools with more than 300 microscopes as part of the Microscopes in Schools Project.

Ms Beazley attended the presentation ceremony at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School.

She said it was vital to inspire children about science at an early age to encourage them to continue onto studies in higher education in the field.

“Australia is graduating fewer than 500 students through university in agricultural sciences each year and we need about 5000, ” she said.

“A microscope gives children a new insight, whether it is into animals, plants, rocks, fossils, electronic circuit boards, or whether you are interested in how your body looks by plucking a hair from your skin.

“The difference that these microscopes are going to make once a school student gets their hands on something and is doing rather than just sitting is inspiring.”

Project coordinator and Rotarian Di Collins said securing sponsorship from Alinta Energy meant students in Bunbury could have the chance to explore on their own rather than having to share a microscope with another student.

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