Secondary schools Germany

CONANT, JAMES BRYANT (1893-1978). An American chemisi and educator, bom in Boslon, who received his doctorate in chemisiry from Harvard in 1916 and was president of Harvard for 20 years (1933-19531. His major scientific activities included pioneering research on chlorophyll and importanl contributions to the Manhattan Project. Perhaps his greatest achievements lay in the educational field, in which he exerted a strong liberalizing influence at both the collegiate and secondary school levels. He also was ambassador to postwar Germany and educational adviser to Berlin. He wrote many books on science and education, including basic chemical tests, and received a number of scientific and educational awards. 

Emil Hermann Fischer, born October 9, 1852, in Euskirchen, Germany, received the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1902 for his elucidations of the structure of sugars and the synthesis of purines. His father, a very successful lumber merchant, intended Emil to join the family business upon completion of his secondary school education. Young Fischer showed exceptional abilities as a student in the natural sciences, particularly in physics. In 1859 he dutifully entered his father s business, but showed little aptitude for commerce. In frustration his father enrolled him at the University of Bonn in 1871 to study chemistry, which at least had practical applications. 

In recent years, non-formal outreach laboratory environments for primary and secondary school students (in German Schillerlabor) became widespread in universities, research facilities and large companies all over Germany. A large number of these laboratories were founded in order to motivate young... 

Retired from The School of Pharmacy, University of London, London, United Kingdom Retired from Department of Secondary Metaboiism, institute ofPiant Biochemistry, Haiie, Germany... 

Professional schools and universities bear a large burden of responsibility. In Germany, the universities still concentrate mainly on metals, either ignoring plas-tics/polymers entirely in basic studies or having metal specialists cover them as themes of secondary importance. In view of the enormous worldwide increase in the technical, economic and environmental significance of plastics, this is an irresponsible attitude and a hindrance to the healthy development of national economies. 

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