The educational strategy of the Royal Meteorological Society

The Royal Meteorological Society has promoted school and popular meteorological education since the nineteenth century. For an overview of the Society's educational activities up to the early 1990s, reference should be made to Walker (1993 a,b).

Activities since the early 1990s have focused increasingly, but certainly not exclusively, on helping school educators teach the meteorological content of the United Kingdom's national curricula, of which there are three: one for Scotland, one for Northern Ireland and one for England and Wales. With the coming of the World Wide Web (in the early 1990s), educational resources have increasingly taken electronic form. Much of the responsibility for providing advice, guidance and material resources for school (and other) educators rests with the Royal Meteorological Society's Education Resources Manager (formerly called Education Officer). The holder of this post since 1998, the author of this abstract, is the first holder of it to be a professional meteorologist.

The educational activities of the Royal Meteorological Society are controlled by an Education Committee, and these activities and associated material resources have for several decades taken various forms: courses, workshops, projects, study packs, leaflets, articles, books, slides, etc. They have latterly included the World Wide Web. Two resources of a learned and professional society are, however, limited: human and financial resources. They have to be deployed wisely and effectively.

With this in mind, the Education Committee of the Royal Meteorological Society recently (2003) examined its current activities critically, using as part of this process a SWOT analysis (SWOT standing for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). Specific strategic aims and objectives for the period 2003-2008 were determined and ways and means of achieving them set out. The Committee recognized especially the need to avoid duplication of effort (there being other providers of meteorological education in the United Kingdom). It also, in the process of carrying out the SWOT analysis, identified clearly the Society's niche in the world of meteorological education.

The broad strategic aims of the Education Committee have changed little over the years and will continue in the foreseeable future: (i) To increase the awareness within, and accessibility of meteorology to, the general public; (ii) To awaken children's interest in meteorology; (iii) To promote meteorology in schools as a science-based subject.

This oral presentation will expand upon the foregoing to such an extent as time permits. The Royal Meteorological Society's educational activities over the coming years will be considered in more detail in an accompanying poster presentation, which will focus especially on the activities through which the Education Committee's strategic aims and objectives will be delivered.

REFERENCES

Walker, J.M. (1993 a). The educational activities of the Royal Meteorological Society Part 1: Medals and Metmaps. Weather, Vol.48, pp.2-7.

Walker, J.M. (1993 b). The educational activities of the Royal Meteorological Society Part 2: Soap bubbles and sophistication. Weather, Vol.48, pp.34-40.