SCIENCE and technology are closely associated with modern life.
They are closely linked to aspects of society and the studies and developments in both fields are essential for the overall progress of society. Scientific research comprises of a wide variety of fields ranging from the study of different branches of science to relatively advanced fields like space exploration, human genetics and cloning.
Scientific study attempts to explore and understand the working of the physical world. It tries to analyse the occurrences in nature and gain knowledge about nature through experimentation.
As scientific research aims at gaining knowledge of the complexities of nature, it is important for the progress of mankind. Seemingly impossible feats have been made possible, thanks to the scientific research.
Natural sciences deal with the study of nature and human life. The studies of natural and artificial sciences reveal the relationship between nature and human life. Research in science has paved a path to many brilliant inventions and discoveries.
The development and advancement of science and technology have been characterised by different eras such as the automobile age, the space age and more recently the incredible computer age.
We cannot forget the automobile and the transport industries that have grown tremendously on account of the developments in science and engineering.  Technological advancements have driven the developments in the different modes of transport. Bicycles have transformed into scooters and sport bikes. Four and six wheeled vehicles are running on the roads, thanks to the advancing technology. The developments in air transport have winged the common man to soar high.
The importance of technology lies in the benefits of technology on society. The positive effects of technology on society are many. The advancements in technology have revolutionised human life, providing a great impetus to the computer and the telecommunication industry.
Developments in communication technology have made the world a smaller place. The Internet serving as an excellent communication platform has made the world flat!
The World Wide Web has proved being an enormous information base, from which information can be retrieved by means of search engines. Information from all around the world is housed on the web. Thanks to the development of the web technology, the information can be stored in an organised manner and relevant information can be retrieved on supplying search strings to the web search engines.
Digitisation of information has been a major breakthrough in the world of information technology. It has made possible the compaction of information, which in turn allows efficient information storage.
The most important benefit of science has been the luxury it has brought to daily life. The mechanisation of industrial processes has reduced human effort. Household appliances that are in the daily use of the common man are a result of scientific research. Machines have replaced human beings in monotonous and risk-bearing tasks. Scientific discoveries have made life easy.
It is therefore imperative that in order for a country to accelerate its economic development the education system must be geared and adequately equipped to teach science and technology subjects at both the school and tertiary levels.
India and China, two emerging giants, have aptly demonstrated what could be achieved through the application of science and technology as they have transformed themselves from backward feudal states to economic and industrial giants.
Unfortunately, in Guyana, there has been a decreasing number of students at the secondary level opting for science and worse yet there is virtually a non-existent Natural Science Department.
This debilitating trend has to be arrested with urgency and reversed or else our economic and national development will be severely curtailed.
The Ministry of Education has recognised and acknowledged the problem and has implemented several programmes to boost science education but perhaps the officials need to be more aggressive and demonstrate a greater sense of urgency because time is certainly against us.