The British Columbia Ministry of Education supports the statement that advancements in science and technology play a significant role in everyday life. British Columbia also subscribes to the vision that all Canadian students, regardless of gender or cultural background, should have opportunities to develop scientific literacy.

Scientific literacy is an evolving combination of the science-related attitudes, skills, and knowledge students need to:

• develop inquiry, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities as citizens
• become lifelong learners
• maintain a sense of wonder about the world around them.

Diverse experiences in a Science program will provide students with many opportunities to understand their interrelationships among science, technology, and society that will affect their personal lives, their careers, and their futures.

Goals for Scientific Literacy

These goals are in alignment with the four foundational statements from the Pan-Canadian Science Framework (Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, 1997) that delineate the four critical aspects of students’ scientific literacy.

GOAL 1: Science, technology, society, and the environment (STSE) Students will develop an understanding of the nature of science and technology, of the relationship between science and technology and of the social and environmental contexts of science and technology.	GOAL 2: Skills Students will develop an understanding of the nature of science and technology, of the relationship between science and technology and of the social and environmental contexts of science and technology.
GOAL 3: Knowledge Students will construct knowledge and understandings of concepts in life science, physical science, and Earth and space science, and apply these understandings to interpret, integrate, and extend their knowledge	GOAL 4: Attitudes Students will be encouraged to develop attitudes that support the responsible acquisition and application of scientific and technological knowledge to the mutual benefit of self, society, and the environment.