CSI: ST NINIAN'S; Sleuth pupils in Education Awards hunt.

Byline: By Craig McQueen

SCIENCE lessons at school used to be about bunsen burners and test tubes but, for the pupils of St Ninian's High in Bishopbriggs near Glasgow, things are now a bit more hi-tech.

Keen to give pupils a better understanding of how science subjects are applied in real life, the school launched a crime-themed project for for its junior pupils aimed at developing their investigation skills.

And it proved such a hit, that the school set up CSI St Ninian's - an after-school group examining a range of forensic science techniques as they look to solve a murder.

Thanks to the innovative scheme, the school are now in the running for a prize at this year's Scottish Education Awards, to be held on June 13 at the City Halls in Glasgow.

St Ninian's chemistry teacher Claire Wassell said: "We ran a project last year called Who Stole the S1 Exam?, which the kids thoroughly enjoyed and gave them a taste for the topic.

"It was a big success and they started saying, 'Miss, can we do a murder this year?' So I did a bit of research during the holidays, got together a few experiments and tried them out with the school technicians to make sure they'd work.

"We've looked at blood typing, DNA testing, chromatography and different types of fingerprinting. We've also used digital microscopes for hair analysis and fibre analysis."

The scheme has seen pupils learn a range of new skills in a manner far-removed from a traditional class setting.

And after securing extra funding, the school bought their own forensic equipment.

Mrs Wassell said: "This has given the project an authenticity and has mirrored what our young scientists see in forensic investigation TV programmes they watch."

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YOUNG SLEUTHS: Pupils put their forensic skills to the test