The Euro Space Centre near Brussels is a great experience for TY students, but it needs more input from government agencies, writes PETER McGUIRE
ROCKET SCIENCE isn’t just for geniuses. Over the past few years, hundreds of Transition Year students have built and launched their own missiles into the skies of Europe.
The students have been attending the Saffron Science Programme at the Euro Space Centre (ESC) in Transinne, near Brussels. Over five days, they experience lunar gravity simulators, mission control rooms, rotating chairs and, of course, rocket building. There’s even a chance to climb aboard a massive replica space rocket.
This Belgian "space camp" provides an excellent opportunity for young people to get out of the classroom and experience practical science – and it's proving enormously popular. Over 35 Irish schools have signed up to the programme, and the vast majority have returned year-on-year. Eight students from three schools who spoke to The Irish Timescited it as one of the best, if not the best, experiences of their entire Transition Year programme. As well as undertaking 20 hours of education during the mornings, students can choose from afternoon activities including visits to theme parks, adventure centres, Luxembourg or Brussels, as well as evening activities such as astronomy, bowling, cinema, and barbeque.
“The whole experience was very hands-on,” says fifth year student Tim Kennedy from Malahide Community School. “It was such a different approach to science. Where else could you learn about life in space, astronomy, the International Space Station, satellites and their functions, and mission controls?”
But the Saffron Science Programme, while popular with students, schools and teachers, suffers from one major flaw outside its control: the quality of facilities at the ESC itself. With an impressive list of supporters including the European Space Agency, the Belgian Tourism Commission, the provincial development agency Idelux, the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, the provincial government, Sony and Nestlé, it’s surprising that the ESC appears to suffer from a lack of investment. The centre, built in 1991, had the atmosphere of a very large warehouse. The walls were visibly peeling. The micro-gravity tank, where students conduct underwater experiments, had a thick layer of grime at the bottom.
THERE WAS A distinctly unpleasant smell in the corridor. The computers were ancient, hulky models you’d seldom see in the most underfunded of Irish classrooms. And the bulk of the exhibits lie behind glass cases with little or no opportunity for student interaction.
The Euro Space Centre, which should be one of the European Union’s flagship science education programmes, is being allowed to fall into disrepair. It’s a wasted opportunity for what could be a potentially world-class educational amenity, and with students from all over Europe travelling to see the centre, it undermines the EU’s stated goal of turning Europe into a world leader in science, engineering and technology. Most students come home from the Saffron Science Programme with both a new outlook on science and excellent memories of their visit, but it’s also possible that others receive an unintended message: we don’t really care enough about science to invest in it.
“The ESC made a good impression on me; while it could perhaps have been more advanced, the staff work flat out to the best of their abilities,” says Tim Kennedy. “But for Transition Year students it’s still brilliant, and it’s not critical for everything to be state-of-the-art.”
Stephanie Whelan, a sixth year student studying chemistry and biology at the Holy Faith School in Clontarf, Co Dublin, agrees with Tim. “The facilities were perhaps a little old-fashioned, but I really enjoyed most of the exhibits, such as the anti-gravity simulator and the space shuttle simulator,” she says. “My week in Belgium at the Euro Space Centre was easily one of the best things I did in transition year.”
For more information on this and other programmes, visit saffronpromotions.com, or call Saffron Event Manager Stephen Keenan on 087-9571226
