Abstract
Education is important to professional astronomy;
astronomy is important to education. Since science
education in schools and universities is most effective
when students use inquiry-based learning with real
scientific data and activities, the Hipparcos data base
has significant educational potential. The astrometric
data base can be used for activities and projects
which illustrate important physical and astronomical
concepts (as well as the role of random and systematic
errors, selection effects etc.). The epoch photometric
data base can also be used to develop and integrate a wide range of math and science skills, at the high school level and beyond. Many Hipparcos-based activities could be offered on-line, building on the success of the European Association for Astronomy Education's recent Astronomy On-Line project. There are, however, many schools and universities - especially in the developing countries - which do not have easy access to the Internet or to on-line data bases. I urge ESA to develop the educational potential of the Hipparcos data base, and to make it available, in appropriate form, to teachers and students worldwide.
