Call for Practical Science Experiments to be Protected in Curriculum

The Council for Science and Technology expressed in August its intention to write to the education secretary raising concerns over the science curriculum. The Council warns that the current focus on exams is squeezing practical laboratory experiments out of the curriculum. If things continue to progress down this path, the idea of school microscopes being a mainstay of any science lesson could soon become as antiquated as students playing with mercury.

Cramming for exams crowds out practical learning

In a letter to education secretary Michael Gove The Council for Science and Technology (CST) warns of the loss of practical science lessons as schools focus on preparing pupils for written exams. 

The council says that without practical learning, science lessons would be "like studying literature without reading books" and are lobbying for laboratory experiments to be protected in a shake-up of GCSEs and A-levels in England.

The CST, which provides strategic advice to the government says that the focus on exam grades is "pushing inspiring practical work into the margins as teachers concentrate on preparing for examinations". In it’s letter to Michael Gove the council states that practical learning should not be an optional extra but that laboratory based experiments are the "essence of science and should be at the heart of science learning"

The council believes that the changes to GCSEs and A-Levels should provide an opportunity to integrate more practical experiments into school science with teachers encouraged to "devise innovative and challenging practical based science curricula for their students, including more independent, project-based work".

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "The Council for Science and Technology rightly notes that our reforms 'will give teachers space and freedom' to conduct more experiments and practical’s. By scrapping modules and January assessments, our reforms will end the constant treadmill of exams and leave more time for experiments and practical’s in science. We have also prioritised experiments in our new curriculum. Pupils will focus on practical work in primary school so they are ready to move on to more advanced laboratory work in secondary school."

Accompanying the letter from the CST is a report which argues that there has been a "steady erosion" of laboratory skills in school science over the past 20 years so let’s hope the planned changes provide an opportunity to reverse this trend.

Council for science and technology

http://www.bis.gov.uk/cst

FREE On Site-Technical Support

Better Equipped is pleased to announce that Alan North has joined as Sales and Technical Coordinator. 

Alan brings with him many years of experience in the field and will be happy to provide free and relevant help, support and advice to our school and college customers as required. Please feel free to contact him on 07711 032862 or alan.north@betterequipped.co.uk
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We have moved

We're pleased to announce that we've moved to new, bigger premises. We've only moved a couple of miles from our previous base but our new warehouse has significantly more space and will enable us to expand our range more and hold larger stock quantities required to guarantee the fast delivery and high levels of customer service you've come to expect from Better Equipped. More importantly this extra space will also enable us to buy bigger quantities from our suppliers which will help us to further drive down prices for you.

 

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Our Biggest Ever Range

Over 2000 top selling science resources available

Following our move to bigger premises we now stock an even bigger range, in fact it’s our biggest ever range of science resources, with over 2000 top selling items available at www.betterequipped.co.uk

 

Furthermore if you can't find what you need, please contact us and we will look to source and supply your items at a market beating price!

 

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Science in Schools – Why Does it Matter?

With constant budget reviews, the cost of teaching every subject on the curriculum is often under scrutiny. Even the main subjects haven’t escaped. Science is a relatively expensive subject to teach, needing specialised equipment, facilities, and staff, so it is hardly surprising that the costs involved in doing so are being examined.

It is worth understanding the importance of a strong education in the science subjects. High quality of teaching, and of the equipment available for students to use in their experiments, is vital in ensuring that pupils get the most out of their science education.

Economic benefits of science

Girls Shine on BTEC STEM Courses, We Just Need Numbers to Rise.

Pearson, the organisation which awards BTEC qualifications has shared data which shows where girls participate in skills based science and technology courses they outperform their male counterparts by being more likely to achieve the top grades.

Despite this success and as per science participation in a broader context boys significantly outnumber girls on STEM BTEC courses, but figures from Pearson also show that albeit from a low base the number of girls taking BTEC qualifications in STEM subjects is increasing.

This year, girls made up 5% of students taking engineering at BTEC Level Two, taken alongside GCSEs but more than a third (37%) of these girls gained a distinction, compared with 20% of boys.

In information technology (IT), girls made up 38% of the student population at Level Two but around a third (31%) gained a distinction, compared with 21% of the boys.

Rob Bristow, president of Pearson in the UK, said: "Still too few girls make the next step in a Stem-related career by studying these subjects at university. This is something educators, business and government all need to work on and put right."

"We know STEM skills are crucial to the high skills economy we will need in the future. Too often these are seen as 'boys' subjects'; today's figures show that, when girls do sign up to these vital subjects, they flourish."

The figures also show girls are out-performing their male colleagues in science, and while more girls are choosing to study science, technology, engineering and maths  (STEM), experts have warned that low numbers were going on to study these subjects at university and to have careers in these areas.

Helen Wollaston, director of WISE, (Women into Science and Engineering) said: “These results prove that girls can do science, IT and engineering; in fact, those that choose these subjects do better than boys. At a time when UK industry is crying out for more people with STEM qualifications, we have to get more of this female talent into the workforce."