Teaching of Astronomy

Abstract

The President is happy to report that a considerable increase of interest in astronomy teaching problems seems to have taken place in many countries during the period 1985–1987. Some countries organized local teachers courses and meetings, ether – national conferences devoted to establishing modern school programmes and training teachers methods including astronomical notions. An international workshop for physics teachers showing possibilities of practical introducing astronomy when teaching physics/GIREP 1986/ brought into contact astronomers and physicists. And, last but not least, teaching problems have been also introduced during the IAU Colloquium No.98, “The Contribution of Amateur Astronomers to Astronomy”, in 1987, while the first IAU meeting dedicated to teaching problems — the IAU Colloquium No.105 “The Teaching of Astronomy” — is planned for 1988 in Williams town /USA/. Let us hope that in the near future all astronomers will be well aware of their own responsibility in helping astronomical education all over the world.