The main purpose of this study was to understand whether students' view the currentrnscience curriculum as challenging or a burden. In line with this their hopes andrnexpectations to learn science were explored. Moreover, science curriculum materialsrnwere also examined in accordance with the intentions of the NETP to promote learningrnthrough problem solving approaches. To these end, qualitative case study research wasrnemployed. Data were collected from Shashamanne General Secondary School in a onernmonth and two weeks period. It was largely based on semi-structured interviews donernwith purposively selected participants from science curriculum expert in ICDR tornstudents in the school. Beside this, documents like the NETP and science curriculumrnmaterials were also analyzed, and lesson presentations were also observed. Results andrndiscussions were made using thematic approach, and the study was reported in arnnarrative text. The study revealed that there is a contradictory initiative underpinning thernNETP (constructivism) and the science curriculum (reductionist behavioral approach).rnThe implementation of science curriculum driven by fact based, 40 minutes andrnclassroom bounded, teacher- electronic device- and nobody-centered instruction, andrnpaper- pencil based summative assessments reinforced superficial learning, and featuredrnunappealing learning experiences. These in turn robbed students' interest and the tone ofrnscience learning, though their hopes and expectations were to learn science for deeprnunderstandings. Consequently, these pressurized students to consider science as a burdenrnto get rid of Therefore, science curriculum need to be designed around concepts,rnacknowledge and appreciate students' preconceptions and indigenous achievements ofrnthe oral culture about how the world works, romanticize it through questions. Thisrnaccordingly, will inspire, challenge, and intrinsically motivate them to explore more,rnevaluate their preconceptions, and then move towards scientific understandings. Hence,rnthe people involved in the system of education need to reexamine the process of sciencerncurriculum planning and the way it is being taught in school in accordance with whatrnstudents are saying and the intentions in the NETP