Wednesday 8th February 2012 12.25am
Post your Events CBI Reacts To GCSE Results
And calls for more schools to offer triple science GCSE. The CBI congratulated students and teachers on this year’s GCSE results.
There were increases in the numbers taking individual, in-depth sciences (biology, chemistry and physics) as separate GCSEs. Numbers taking biology rose by 28% to 129,464, physics increased by 32% to 120,455 and chemistry by 32% to 121,988.
But the employers' group warned that too few students still study triple science (all three separate sciences), and that a failure to offer this option and inform pupils of its value could deny them opportunities later in life.
There were further improvements made in maths (where 58.4% achieved a grade C or above, compared with 57.2% last year) and in English (where 64.7% attained this level, compared with 62.7% a year ago).
Despite this, a large number of students will still not achieve a C or above in both maths and English GCSEs. This year, over 45,000 students in English and nearly 100,000 in maths only achieved an F or below.
Richard Lambert, CBI Director-General, said:
“Today’s results reflect the hard work that young people have put into studying for these important exams.
“But there remains a long tail of underachievement in our schools, which must be tackled if more of Britain’s young people are to fulfil their true potential. This country increasingly competes with its brains rather than its brawn, and we cannot afford to let talent to go to waste.
“Far too few students are given the option by schools to do triple science, and too few are taking it up even if it’s available. Pupils, parents and teachers should know that triple science offers the best preparation for A-level science and a whole range of careers. No-one wants gifted young people to miss out on future opportunities because they leave science behind at GCSE.”
As well as a lack of uptake in triple science GCSE, there is a large disparity between numbers in comprehensives, grammars and private schools doing the examination:
· Last year, the most recent year for which figures are available, only 13% of GCSE students in England took triple science GCSE, but those who do are more than twice as likely to go on to an A-level in science (45% compared to 19%, DCSF 2009).
· Less than half of state schools (46%) currently offer physics, chemistry and biology separately, and only 10% of those that do are comprehensives (Hansard).
· 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% do at private schools (Department for Education).
Mr Lambert said:
“The Government must address the low proportion of students taking triple science GCSE as a priority.”
The CBI has a number of recommendations to improve uptake of triple science in schools. It wants to see:
· The number of state schools offering triple science rise to two-thirds of all schools by 2015, and an increase in the number taking triple science in those schools that offer the course, up from the current 13%.
· An automatic opt-in to triple science GCSE for the 40% of young people who achieve Level 6 at age 14.
· The recruitment and retention of more specialist science teachers – almost one in four 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 priority, and 67% think that employers can encourage science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) study by engaging with schools.
· 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 university graduates would have definitely or potentially have chosen a different course if they had received more or better careers advice (CBI/YouGov).
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