Who Is Teaching Science And Mathematics? Don't Ask The Government, UK

Main Category: Medical Students / Training
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Public Health
Article Date: 10 Dec 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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A critical shortage of science and mathematics teachers is being made worse since Government is in the dark about the full scale of the problem. That is the conclusion of a report published by the Royal Society.

The 'state of the nation' report is a comprehensive review of the available data on the UK's science and mathematics teaching workforce across the 5-19 age range. The report highlights shortcomings in recruitment and retention, and concludes that there are insufficient numbers of specialist physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics teachers in schools. The report shows that the Government's ability to tackle the problem is seriously undermined by its own lack of information.

Michael Reiss, Director of Education at the Royal Society said: "The Government talks about placing a great deal of emphasis on the importance of science and mathematics. However, the vision of an economy driven by innovation will never become a reality unless there are enough high quality teachers in science and mathematics. The Government's workforce modelling is simply not fit for purpose. It is time that people woke up to the true scale of the problem and did something about it."

The report calls on the Government to face up to the problem of shortages of specialist science and mathematics teachers, to radically overhaul the way it collects data on who is teaching these subjects and to invest in science and mathematics teaching throughout the school and college education system.

Professor Dame Julia Higgins, Chair of the Royal Society working group that produced the report said: "The last ten years have seen lots of initiatives launched in education, yet science and mathematics still appear to be dangerously under-resourced. Without enough specialist teachers these initiatives may be doomed to failure. We have seen our schools drop from 4th to 14th in international league tables for science since 2000. It is time to stop the rot."

Juliet Strang, Headteacher at Villiers High School, Southall and member of the Royal Society working group said: "Recruiting specialist science and maths teachers is often very difficult because there are just not enough of them. Schools are having to come up with ever more creative ways of getting the right calibre of teacher. However committed and hard working school leaders are, if they cannot get the right teachers it is difficult, if not impossible to provide the good quality science and maths education that our young people need."

Key findings from the report include:

- Recruitment to teacher training courses in 2005/6 fell short of Government targets by 10% in science and by 18% in mathematics

- Drop out rates for teacher training of 15.7% in science and 17.8% in mathematics in 2005/6 mean that the actual numbers of teachers qualifying were substantially lower

- Specialist science and mathematics teachers are very closely associated with students' success, yet the percentage of such specialist teachers seems to have declined substantially since 1991

- The shortage of chemistry and physics teachers means that many schools do not even bother to advertise for them, opting instead to advertise for general science teachers

- The high percentage of general science posts advertised may indicate that schools are already facing up to a shortage of physics, chemistry and biology specialists

- 30 - 40% of science and mathematics teachers who qualified in 1994 and 1999 were not teaching within a year of qualifying and around 50% were not teaching within five years

Notes:

1. 'The UK's science and mathematics teaching workforce: A state of the nation report' is the first of a series of reports aimed at monitoring and helping to improve the quality of science and mathematics education on the UK.

2. The report includes the available data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as England.

3. The Royal Society is an independent academy promoting the natural and applied sciences. Founded in 1660, the Society has three roles, as the UK academy of science, as a learned Society, and as a funding agency. It responds to individual demand with selection by merit, not by field. As we prepare for our 350th anniversary in 2010, we are working to achieve five strategic priorities to:

- Invest in future scientific leaders and in innovation
- Influence policymaking with the best scientific advice
- Invigorate science and mathematics education
- Increase access to the best science internationally
- Inspire an interest in the joy, wonder and excitement of scientific discovery

Royal Society

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