ADJUNCT Professor at The Mico University College Arnaldo Ventura has sounded a stern warning that Jamaica must boost science education and practice, or fall woefully behind the rest of the world.

"We must now understand that if we don't improve the thought and practice of science in Jamaica, we are in big trouble now and we going to be in worse trouble later on," Professor Ventura told reporters at the Observer's Monday Exchange.

Ventura and his colleagues from the math and science faculties at Mico were lamenting the underperformance of Jamaican students in the critical areas of science and mathematics in recent years.

According to Ventura, successive administrations have paid scant attention to the importance of science to national socio-economic growth. He said the previous administration had failed at this task, and the current one was also "about to fail".

In fact, he said the lack of vision in Government was never demonstrated more clearly than when it failed to properly acknowledge and include a science component in the much-touted Vision 2030 Jamaica — National Development Plan.

Ventura declared that it was only as a result of his insistence that the role of science and technology was ever included in the policy document.

He said that Jamaica does not have a scientific culture and when the team of consultants first started to put the document together, as an initiative of the World Bank, the elements of science and technology were not included at all.

"I had to insist that it be put in. It was like an appendage, because, you see, the World Bank and so has money on its mind, not development," he said.

"That says everything, and to move Jamaica from where we are now, hard work won't do it. Just pouring money into the [education] system won't do it. We have to transform our way of thinking and acting and perceiving to be able to have a place in the so-called knowledge-led world."

Monday, he advised that the science and technology component in the local educational system must be revisited to see where it can be improved to help the country meet new global development challenges.

"The idea for science technology for development means you have to be very systematic about it," he noted.

He added that science is important to every aspect of life, including production and productivity and affects the type of management available at the political, civic and industrial levels.

The Vision 2030 document (Popular Version), published in 2010, aims to enable Jamaica to achieve developed country status by 2030. It is based on seven Guiding Principles which are intended to "put people at the centre of Jamaica's development".

These are: transformational leadership; partnership; transparency and accountability; social cohesion; equity; sustainability; and urban and rural development.

These issues "give priority attention to elements that are essential to delivering a world-class quality of life for all Jamaicans and reflect the key pillars of change needed..", states the document.

Under the heading A Technology-Enabled Society, the planning manual states: "On our journey to the future, science, technology and education will help us to become a well-educated society that depends on our knowledge to drive our development (a knowledge-based society)."

It also states that the two will enhance creativity and enable development of unique products and services that add value to the country's industries.

To achieve this goal, the document highlights the need for science and technology to be included in all aspects of national development in that science and technology education would be increased in schools and that a national policy to promote science, technology and innovation would be introduced.

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