John Holman to head pioneering science education team
Posted on 25 February 1999
Mr Holman, currently Headmaster of Watford Grammar School for Boys, has been associated with the Group, based in the University's Chemistry department, since 1988. He was director of the major A level chemistry project 'Salters Advanced Chemistry', developed at York and now used throughout the UK, Russia, Spain and Slovenia.
The Science Education Group has developed the highly successful range of Salters Science courses jointly with industry. Some 40,000 students now take the Salters GCSE courses each year, and over 4,000 students take the Salters A level Chemistry course. The Group is currently developing the Salters Horners A level Physics course, due to be launched in 2000. The Group is also developing a 'science in the environment' project. In association with the University of California, Berkeley, the Group is adapting Salters Science into PRIME Science for use in US schools.
In addition to leading the Science Education Group, John Holman will also direct the Chemical Industry Education Centre, which is funded by the Chemical Industries Association.
After a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge, Mr Holman became a teacher of Chemistry, before directing SATIS (Science and Technology in Society) which related science to industry and society, and setting up 'Science across the World', a schools networking project involving hundreds of schools in Europe, Asia and America. He also piloted the 'Technology Enhancement Programme', which developed learning materials for schools.
"The Salters' Institute is delighted at the appointment of John Holman to the new Salters' Chair of Chemical Education", said Sir David Harrison, Director of the Salters' Institute of Industrial Chemistry and Master of Selwyn College, Cambridge. "He will be a most worthy successor to Professor David Waddington and his pioneer work at the University of York."
"The University is enormously grateful for Salters continued funding for the Chemistry department", said head of department, Professor Bruce Gilbert. "John Holman's role as an innovator and outstanding teacher will allow us to be in the forefront of learning and teaching in chemistry."
Notes to editors:
- The new Salters' Chair of Chemical Education in the department of Chemistry will be jointly funded by the Salters' Institute of Industrial Chemistry (the educational arm of the Salters Livery Company) and the University of York for an initial period of five years.
- The Institute is also to fund the two existing Salters Fellows in the Science Education Group for a further five years. It continues to provide funding for the development of the Salters Horners Physics project, making total funding for the Group in excess of 800,000 over the next few years.