Tony Blair said on Friday technological innovation was crucial to Britain's economic success and that scientific skills were needed in the battle against climate change and disease.
"We (in Britain) have to be a magnet for scientific endeavour, attracting the best people, turning the knowledge into commercial enterprise," the prime minister said in a speech. "We need our young people today to embrace science enthusiastically, to realise that challenges like climate change can only be beaten by motivated and dedicated scientists."
Blair said the government needed to continue to make the case for scientific advances and not be deflected by critics. He wanted innovations to translate into economic benefits. Science was not just about being stuck in a laboratory but about practical applications that can transform people's lives, he said.
Critics of the government's science policy point to the difficulties in recruiting science teachers and say it is symptomatic of the lack of importance that has been given to the subject. At present, 26 percent of secondary state schools lack a specialist physics teacher and 12 percent have no chemistry specialist.
During the speech, Blair said valuable lessons had been learnt from GM experiments, bio-technology and scientific research on animals, even though it has triggered the wrath of protesters. "The anti-science brigade threatens our progress and our prosperity. We need political and science leadership that stands up to them," he said.
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