If you went to a public place where you were surrounded by people and randomly posed the question “What is science?” or asked “Is it important to learn science?” what do you think will be the answer? In this article R Ramanujam explores this question, dwelling on how a perception of science is built up by the way people are educated in science in school. School education shapes what people believe is science and what is meant by the scientific attitude in a manner that leaves a lot to be desired, he argues. He touches upon how education needs to be looked at to address this issue.