An interview with Agija Lāce, a science teacher at Jelgava Spīdola State Gymnasium
When talking about young people's knowledge, one has to consider or count how many subjects at school "touch upon" nature and science-related issues. I teach a subject that combines physics, chemistry, and biology, and relatively few hours are left for nature, forests, and education or information of that kind. In our school, 2/3 of secondary school students study the combined science subject, and 1/3 study biology in greater depth. Working daily, it does not seem to me that we are educating young people who would prove or confirm the stereotypes about jokes often found on social media, such as that milk comes from the fridge. Certainly, young people living in rural areas know all of this better; perhaps (but only perhaps) there is someone in the city who truly knows and understands less. Young people are actively interested in current events, for example, climate change… I must say, the more the media talks and writes about something, the more they are interested, search, talk, and discuss.
Does the Spīdola Gymnasium have contacts with professional foresters?
Personally, I do not know any foresters. At school – in the primary school group, one of the 8th-grade classes is an environmental-focused class (studying environmental science in depth), for whom I conducted lessons at the optional environmental school a year ago. We participated in competitions organised by "Latvijas valsts meži", such as creating outdoor learning games that involve wood. With the idea that lessons can take place in a forest or a park. We also took part in a competition and went to the "Meža ABC" (Forest ABC) near Kuldīga, where we learned about the use of forest (wood) together with specialists and professionals. Lessons have also taken place at the Tērvete Nature Park. There are many additional opportunities. I try to take my own 8th-grade homeroom class outside the school premises whenever possible.
There is a Raina park next to the school…
In my subject, we talk little about trees; in the current educational standard, they are not allocated a relatively large role in science lessons, but that will soon change, and perhaps the priorities will be different then. There have been lessons where, while discussing environmental pollution, we went to the park with 12th-grade students and, using lichen identifiers, looked at what kind of lichens grow on the trees in Raina Park. We observed that only two species of lichen grow on the trees in the park, which "gratefully inhabit" any environment. Perhaps the lesson did not turn out as I had hoped, because there were not many lichens, but we concluded that there is less biodiversity in the city. We concluded that the air is likely not of very high quality… The park is across the street, can we just say – "we should breathe in some fresh air during the break"… How fresh is it?
Education standard. Is there enough provision to talk about our natural resources and wealth?
In science, there is one chapter at the end of the 11th grade where we talk about the preservation of biodiversity. Here we can talk about every teacher's thoughts and initiative: one can talk about forests, one can analyse the "Red Data Book". The standard sets out guidelines, but practical work depends on each teacher – how to achieve, interpret, and implement what is set. The same subject can be taught differently in various schools, different classes, and even in parallel classes within one school.
As far as I know and have experienced, "Latvijas valsts meži" organises sessions for teachers. In the 2017 autumn school break, we were at the Tērvete Nature Park, where we participated in a session for about 90 minutes, determined the age of a tree, measured height, and learned to identify the wood of different trees. The teacher does everything themselves, understands what they can take for themselves, and how meaningful it is. I found it interesting! It is good if a teacher can also take the class at least to a park and they have a ready-made lesson that they have experienced themselves.
The best way to get to know the new education standard is through its descriptions. As far as I know, there is a desire to break down the "boundaries" between strictly defined subjects - several subjects will be able to be "mixed" or combined. For example, regarding the things we are talking about in this interview – biology can be combined with economics, and the basics of forestry, so to speak, will become quite clear to the students. This can be taught together. The emphasis will also be on critical thinking and skills, which now often seem to be left in the background.
How often do you go outside the school during lessons?
Not overly often. I have more freedom with my homeroom class during the form period. During lessons, my school's students tend to have other priorities – student companies, additional foreign language lessons, etc. – and even though I am a patriot of my subject, I do not want to take away the time that is important to them, which interests them specifically! Within two or three lessons, it is also difficult to go further, outside. But! When measuring average speed (physics), we do go out into the park and – if a person is in the park – when performing the necessary calculations, they will certainly also notice what is around them!
Incorrect, false information has also "crept" into the field of science. How is that dealt with in schools? For example, the quite current disagreements – nature lovers and entrepreneurs…
I am not asked many questions about such things, though. At the moment (2019), one student is working on a scientific research project on the impact of logging on woodpeckers in the Jelgava area. She is being consulted by an ornithologist and a representative of the forest industry so that we can see the correlations and the situation is not presented or viewed in a one-sided way. Both sides must be taken into account. Upon completing the work, specific recommendations will be developed.
I have a degree in biology, and I see well how economics "conflicts" with nature conservation. Cooperation with "Latvijas valsts meži" is quite active, and it helps to understand even a simple situation: "By copying 30 A4 pages with a task for the class, you haven't done anything to destroy Latvian forests, because the paper production uses trees that would have been cut down anyway while clearing the forests." (Unfortunately, such thoughts are also heard!)
As long as there is a balance in Latvia – cutting and planting, protecting and supervising, everything is happening, there is no cause for concern! As long as forests are planted and continue to be planted, it is great if we can earn money with wood, because wood is a great material!
Has the biologist and teacher noticed during her career where and how the aforementioned stereotypes arise, which, in the end – as it turns out – are difficult to fight?
On one hand, this is related to exaggerations. I personally think that stereotypes arise from a single event, which, in retellings and additions, has travelled by word of mouth or on social media. There has been one case, perhaps accidental, perhaps silly or tragicomic, a person has been surprised and has started to take an interest more deeply, more seriously, and… One case is enough to attribute it to everyone. This can be applied to situations in life, even when meeting a person of another nationality who has expressed themselves wrongly or looked the wrong way, and you suddenly conclude something (completely incorrectly) about the whole nation, the country they represent, their ethnicity, or… Similarly, perhaps, one young person does not know something and asks about it, but the conclusions are already far-reaching…
In my opinion, for example, the state biology olympiad has very difficult questions, but Latvian young people prove that they can regularly compete for medals on a global scale too! So, we have the knowledge!
What surprises you as a teacher at school? In everyday life, regularly or…
I work with methods where students are given summarised information, for example, about biological, air, water, etc. pollution. I am very pleasantly surprised by how interested they are and how much they want to do and find out more. If there were time and some additional incentive, I think they would also learn more and more about the issues we have discussed right now (during the interview).