Yet in the United States of North America, there are groups of people who actively oppose science education. The reasons for this is many. Here is a site for a Annotated bibliography of flat, hollow, and inverted Earth theories . My point is, corporations and nations require that a large portion of its citizenry remain uneducated, but not too large a portion that the corporation and nation does not have a skilled and educated labor pool to select from. Environmental considerations also exist.
Technology is a result of applied science education.
Humans are making their environment toxic and unpleasant to live in. Undermine science education and one slows down the application of technology. The problem with this is that technology is often the solution to poorly-applied technology. The fear of dying in a nuclear holocaust is another reason why people distrust science education. All blame is placed upon the scientists, and by association, science in general.