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Kids don't like physics and maths: study finds out why
Britain will face a shortage of engineers, scientists and mathematicians within the next few years unless more pupils are encouraged to take up the subjects at school
Young people are dropping technical subjects such as maths and physics at A-Level because of outdated career advice and pressure to achieve high grades, which is driving students to choose subjects that are perceived as easy, according to a new report into the issue, which warns the UK is heading for a lost generation.
The Tough Choices study, which has been led by Tesco Clubcard creator Edwina Dunn and business lobby group the CBI, examined data on the falling popularity of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects, collated by AT Kearney, the consultancy firm, Kings College London and University College London.
It found one of the root causes was inadequate advice from careers experts, teachers and parents, who were unable to properly explain the range of jobs that science subjects are relevant for.
“The information that is being given to students is often historic,” Ms Dunn said. “People still think that taking maths and physics means you become a teacher, or work in a lab, rather than creating animations or building apps, or going into data science.”
Young people “see STEM as a career dead-end”, the report warned, and the ever-increasing pressure on pupils to achieve high grades is also driving them away from these subjects.
“When moving from GSCE to A-Level, students fear that it’s harder to get a good grade in maths or science,” said Ms Dunn, adding that fear of failure was even more prominent among young girls.
“We are increasingly measure-driven in our school system,” said Ms Dunn. “Data on grades is published and this is used almost exclusively to show performance.”
Businesses too are “guilty” of focusing too closely on grades, rather than looking at the subjects studied, she said. “Industry needs to adapt its hiring procedures to reflect subject choice – not all subjects should be weighted equally. We are all guilty of being in love with the grading system.”
According to the Department for Education, only one in four English secondary school students will take two STEM subjects or more at A-Level, and fewer than one in 10 takes maths and physics, the two subjects that will be in demand across British industry over the coming decade as a result of the fast-growing digital economy.
More than half of British businesses expect a shortfall in the number of STEM skilled staff in the next three years and, according to the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET), the country will need an extra 1.82m engineers to meet demand over the next seven years.
If perceptions do not change quickly, the UK is heading for a lost generation, Ms Dunn claimed.
“All these poor kids are going to come out of school thinking they’ve invested in their education but they’ll be without maths and science, thinking that business studies will serve them best,” Ms Dunn said. “They will be totally unprepared for the job market. It’s bad for students and terrible for business.”
To tackle the problem, Ms Dunn, the CBI’s Paul Drechsler, alongside corporations such as Rio Tinto, Shell and Ford, have created the Your Life campaign to show young people the benefits of studying STEM subjects at A-Level and beyond.
The campaign is working with the UK’s 5,000 secondary schools to promote STEM, connecting schools with industry through trips and outreach programmes in a bid to educate both students and teachers alike.
A video on the Your Life Youtube channel, which showcases how maths and physics can lead to exciting jobs down the line, received 150,000 views within four months.