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Monday, 06 November 2006 16:29 |
The Science & Technology Committee of the House of Lords calls for physics and chemistry graduates to be paid significantly higher salaries to overcome the acute shortage of specialist science teachers.
'There is a serious shortage of specialist physics and chemistry teachers, which is a barrier to better teaching of these subjects. We strongly believe that this issue can only be tackled effectively if schools are given more freedom to offer significantly higher salaries to candidates with specialist qualifications in these subjects: market forces cannot be ignored. We also call for the Government to offer longer-term incentives to science and mathematics teachers, by reducing the size of the golden hellos and offering to write off student debts in return for four or five years’ service. Finally, we call for a better-paid and faster route for those people with substantial expertise of science or mathematics in industry to gain qualified teacher status'.
This is one of the recommendations made in the report, 'Science Teaching in Schools' published on 5 November 2006 by the Science & Technology Committee of the House of Lords.
Others include:
- replacing A-levels with a broader based syllabus for post-16 students by revisiting Sir Mike Tomlinson’s proposals for a broader diploma system for 14–19 students and by giving further consideration to the International Baccalaureate...
'These systems would ensure that students receive a more rounded education and do not over-specialise before they have seen the merits of pursuing science and mathematics'.
- improving the quality of careers advice in schools as a matter of urgency.
- altering the current testing regime so that the tests assess a much broader range of skills. 'In particular, we believe that the Government must act to secure the future of practical science in schools.We call for a central website on practical science to help address health and safety fears...and a proper career structure and improved pay for school science technicians'
- making it compulsory for teachers to undergo a certain amount of subject-specific CPD each year. 'We also call for additional ring-fenced money to be allocated to schools in order to cover the cost of supply teachers standing in for staff on CPD courses'.
This last recommendation chimes with the evidence submitted by the RAS to the Committee when it noted that lack of ring-fenced money meant that too few teachers exploited the opportunities of stimulating the interest of their pupils by visits to observatories.
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