Wednesday 8th February 2012 10.28am
Post your Events CBI Calls For Action On State School Science Education
The CBI today warned that the shortage of science graduates must be addressed by the state education sector, where insufficient numbers are studying science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.
These subjects tend to lead to better job prospects and higher salaries, and are vital to the UK’s economic prospects.
But research shows that children in the state education system are far less likely to study science subjects and maths, than those in the private sector.
Susan Anderson, CBI Director for Education and Skills, said:
“Young people are missing out on opportunities later in life because they are not studying enough science and maths at school. Parents, pupils and teachers need to understand this.”
In the next two weeks, A-level and GCSE results will be released, and are likely to confirm the insufficient number of students studying STEM subjects.
Research shows that:
· Only 7% of comprehensive school students take at least one science A-level compared with 33% of grammar school students and 28% of private school students (House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee, Tenth Report of Season 2005-06).
· Only 10% of comprehensive school pupils sit triple science GCSE (with physics, chemistry and biology each constituting a whole GCSE), while 57% do so in grammar schools and 33% sit the three sciences at private schools (Department for Education).
· Students at private schools are one-and-a-half times more likely to study maths A-level and two-and-a-half times more likely to take further maths than state school students (Department for Education).
Ms Anderson said:
“When young people study science and maths at school, they improve their prospects. However, too few pupils in comprehensive schools are studying these subjects. Schools and government must take measures to address this situation if we want young people to have the opportunities they deserve.
“Unless the numbers taking science and maths subjects at school and university rise, Britain faces a skills shortage which will weaken our economy.
“It’s particularly important that more children study triple science GSCE, with physics, chemistry and maths each counting for one qualification. The alternative, double science GCSE, does not give young people the same preparation for A-level sciences. We need more schools to offer triple science, and more students to grasp the benefits and study it.”
The CBI has consistently called for policies to help improve the uptake and teaching of science in schools. It wants to see:
· An automatic opt-in to triple science GCSE for the 40% of young people who achieve Level 6 at age 14. These students are more than twice as likely to progress to an A-level science subject if they have taken triple science GCSE (45% compared to 19%, DCSF).
· The recruitment and retention of more specialist science teachers – almost one in four (23.5%) secondary schools in England does not have a specialist physics teacher (Centre for Education and Employment Research).
· Teachers, school leaders and businesses to work together to raise young people’s interest and enjoyment of science – 69% of employers think that promoting science and maths in schools should be the government’s top STEM priority and 67% think that employers can encourage STEM study by engaging with schools (CBI/EDI).
· High quality, impartial careers advice which signposts areas where there is growing employer demand – such as STEM. Research shows that 43% of 16 to 18-year-olds either receive poor advice or do not receive any advice at all from a careers service and the majority (55%) of graduates would have definitely or potentially changed their course if they had received more or better careers advice (CBI/YouGov).
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