posted 07-20-2012 09:05 AM               

I dispute this. I asked Edgar Mitchell, to sign an 8x10 photograph through this website for my daughter's school. He wrote a personal "Aim High" message on it. I had it framed and handed it to the headteacher. My children have met a number of moonwalkers, Ed included.

To cut a long story short, it is end of the school year here today — moon landing day 20th July 1969 coincidentally. The other day the headteacher invited me and the wife to the assembly, which was a surprise.

I was very surprised on entering the hall to see a portrait suit picture of Ed Mitchell on the screen. The HT had done research and produced an amazing insight into Mitchell's life, and the work of Apollo to 5-11 year old children.

My daughters presented the signed framed photo to the school at the assembly.

I was equally surprised that a number of the children and by that I mean about 30% had some knowledge of Apollo and the main players. These are children born many decades after the moon landings. One child knew the names of many of the astronauts and the famous words spoken by one after his first steps. Many others knew something of Apollo!

So there you are, 5-11 year old English children in a state school, 43 years to the day after the first landing with some knowledge of the USA's finest work...

Here I argue that Apollo and interest in space travel is alive - visit Carleton High School, Yorkshire on one of Ken Willoughby's astronaut visits (Bean, Haise, Aldrin, Duke) sold out room of 500 people — interest in man's finest achievements and space travel is alive and kicking. It helps to bring the astronauts to the children to kindle that interest sometimes but I feel that interest does remain!

I also suggest that the work of these brave men is not forgotten and provides an inspirational role model for any child anywhere. Forty years after the event the work of the Apollo astronauts and all involved in the program offers hope for future generations.

posted 07-20-2012 09:09 AM               

I was a teacher for thirty five years in KS2 and 3 and I'm afraid the situation as I observed it is quite different.

At KS1/2 the children in most schools receive only the barest teaching about space/astronomy: the only mandatory study units are the facts that the Earth revolves on its axis and around the Sun, and that it is the tilt of the axis that causes the seasons.

I still give free talks to schools and was amazed to find how few teachers at KS2 understood this, or could explain the difference between weight and mass.

I have yet to meet a single adult of ANY age (other than at Autographica or similar events) who knew the names of all 21 lunar landing mission astronauts: ask anyone you know who isn't a space geek who the command module pilots on Apollo 17 or Apollo 14 were. I bet you won't get a single correct response.

While it is wonderful that your daughter's school appeared to understand the significance of your portrait of Dr. Mitchell, I would caution that I once donated a framed piece of Apollo 13 heat shield signed by Lovell and Haise to a school on completing a three year contract. When I returned some time later to give a talk, I was interested to hear that it had been thrown away when the wall displays were changed at the end of the next term!

As a retired teacher, it has been my experience that you can enthuse a bunch of kids about anything in the short term, until the next term's topic comes along. I used to build flying solid-fuel rockets at one school: the kids really enjoyed learning about the history of spaceflight and knew all about Goddard, von Braun, Korolev etc. But I can report as a fact that the interest waned quite quickly after we moved on to our next science theme.

posted 07-20-2012 09:20 AM               

However, spaceflight is only briefly covered in most schools as part of the curriculum.

I think that most people will kick themselves in the future for not bothering to meet these guys. None of the Apollo guys are getting any younger and it will soon be too late to meet them here in the U.K.

Take my word for it, these space flyers really do have the power to change young people's lives. In 2000, we had Dick Gordon at Northampton and introduced a school boy to him who had a history of behaviour and achievement problems. Dick gave him a long speech about how important his schoolwork was.

A few years later, we had Dick back again and at the show we bumped into the boy's father. He couldn't thank us enough and told us that the boy's life had completely turned around and he was now an A student.

Even he could not believe the change and that was all down to Dick.

posted 07-20-2012 12:16 PM               

How many people could name the 66 squad — I cannot. But I was surprised to see how many children, young children at least knew something about an event (s)from so many a year ago.

posted 07-21-2012 02:40 PM               

We didn't do too badly at the 'Academy'. I had a class stay behind until thrown out by the caretaker at 5.00pm listening to Carpenter's recovery. Classes listened to all the flights - Mercury through to the Shuttle - until I retired and in 1967 students sat a question on Astronautics in a public examination.

However, this was put into perspective by one incident. In 1963 I took a party to see by special invitation the film of the Glenn mission at the American Embassy. This was just a couple of days after the Kennedy assassination. Some twenty years later some of those I took attended a class reunion. They did remember going to the Embassy. Did they recall the film? No, they didn't. What they remembered was signing the book of condolence for the fallen President.

Like David, I too went into our feeder schools to tell the kids about spaceflight. They all listened attentively, asked sensible questions and showed interest in the subject. But this was all at that moment in time. It might have lasted a few days, but it wasn't long before other things became their priority. Any long term interest was rare.

This said, once the 'space bug' bites, it grips you. When this happens it can, and does, tend to cloud one's perspective about how others might perceive the subject. It is well to remember and remind oneself that your view just might not be that of the general public however much one would like it to be. By all means talk about it, but don't expect others to share your passion.

posted 07-22-2012 03:50 AM               

I think this is down to the national curriculum having them do past histories way back (1600-1950) and not closer in time (1960-2000s) and only on UK history.

Now with no U.S. manned spaceflight and no build up to the Soyuz flight to the ISS, the younger people have no interest in it now.

posted 07-22-2012 12:16 PM               

If it weren't for privacy concerns, it might be an interesting study to compile the web browsing histories of students and correlate them by time of day and frequency of visit. Do students only visit NASA.gov (if they visit NASA.gov) during classroom hours? Are they referencing Wikipedia articles about space exploration? Are they looking at space related articles when they visit BBC News's website?

posted 07-23-2012 04:39 AM               

I'm sure most people would be surprised that the topic even got a mention in a school with pupils born 30 to 40 years after the program reached its peak.

The point I was trying to make is that even in the UK — 43 years to the day after the first landing there was still mention made of the times of Apollo.

I'm not suggesting that it forms part of SAT testing or the curriculum - I don't see why that should ever be the case. Just nice to see an end of term assembly based on the message of aiming high and doing your best to achieve good results, just as the astronauts have all worked hard to get their place in their chosen profession. An inspirational lecture perhaps?