Now here's a crumb of comfort. Even in the most-developed United States of America, the schools and colleges are not exactly any better.

If you don't believe it, listen to United States' National Academy of Science president Dr Bruce Alberts who is in the city to attend the Indian Science Congress.

A study conducted by the Academy recently showed that science was `being memorised by children' and not being learnt through inquiry methods', Dr Bruce Alberts said, in his talk on `Mobilising the Power of Information Technology for Education and World Science' at the Science Congress today.

He said the Academy had come up with a series of proposals to change teaching methods in American schools to ensure that study of science is `inquiry-based'. He suggested that since the Indian educational system also suffered from similar malaise, India and USAcould collaborate to evolve effective teaching methods. He also said that linking schools with Internet facilities would also improve science teaching methods.

Learning science through problem-solving methods would also help spread scientific awareness among the public at large, he added. Earlier, Dr Philip Campbell, Editor of the largest-selling science magazine Nature in his talk on `Publishing Science', said the public had an enormous fascination with science and called for effective communication of scientific ideas to people.

Dwelling on public role in scientific research, he pointed out that the Swiss government had recently decided to allow genetically modified gene research through a referendum. According to him, referendum is `too blunt an instrument' to marshal public opinion on research. Instead, the approach of the British government in employing a neutral organisation to gather public views on controversial application of bio-science in agriculture and health sectors could be adopted,he suggested.