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Carl, this simply is not true. Perhaps you know a few teachers who are inept but to tar and feather the whole profession is a little premature to say the least. All of the Science teachers I know at least have a Bsc in a specialist area. All the folks in my department have at least Hons level in their specialist area, 2 have Phd's and one has a masters degree. To quote tabloids printing figures about student achievement is also a little silly as they twist figures to suit their own purpose. What you might like to consider is the number of teachers who are forced to teach outside their specialist area's due to a lack of suitably qualified graduates taking up the challange of educating our youth. An extreme lack of geology specialists comes to mind.....
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I didn't tar the whole profession, Mark. I was only commenting on those teachers that aren't up to scratch, that are still allowed to teach those subjects. I also know a lot of very good teachers as well. The problem is that the students aren't doing as well in science as they should do and many would rather not be doing science if they could get away with it. That seems to be more of a problem with the way society has perceived science and scientists over the years. It's part of the "geeky" "too hard basket". Some of the calls I have heard about making it an elective subject for juniors are crazy. Even seniors should have to do at least one science subject (no matter what "stream" they're in). Next minute, they'll be making English and Mathematics elective subjects!!!!.
That's what science teachers should have, at the very least...a full qualification in their area of teaching. I'd also like to see them have experience as well, but that can't always be the case.
Well, you would've had a geology specialist here, only for the fact family matters intervened, I'd have had my BEd as well as my science degree. Plus someone with experience in the industry to boot. But all that's another story.