This paper offers a commentary upon a number of recent documents from different countries concerned with the reform of school science education. It identifies and considers in turn four issues drawn from the documents: the way in which science is defined; the reference to science as a whole rather than as discrete disciplines; the nature of science; and the teaching and learning of science. A concluding discussion offers a number of suggestions for the improvement of future prescriptions for school science curriculum reform. (Contains 15 notes.)