SBS PR 03/03

PRESS RELEASE IMMEDIATE

Give science teachers the time to inspire young people

As MPs prepare to debate the state of science education in schools next Thursday (3 April), Save British Science today briefed them on the views of a groups of science teachers.

'Last week, we asked a group of science teachers from around the country about their concerns and they told us Two kinds of pressures mean that they cannot give the full attention to their main role of educating and inspiring young people about science, engineering and mathematics' said Dr Peter Cotgreave, Director of SBS.

First, Time Constraints

• There are too many initiatives that take up time, as teachers continually have to apply for individual pots of money.
• Busy teachers have no opportunity to renew their knowledge of their subject, which is crucial when science is changing all the time.

Second, Bureaucracy and Game-Playing

• League tables distort classroom priorities.
• Practical classes are cancelled because it is difficult to exclude disruptive pupils, who cannot be trusted; severe financial penalties, and an uncooperative appeals procedure mean that Head Teachers are reluctant to exclude troublemakers.
• Money cannot be held over from one financial year to the next, leading to a dash to spend smaller sums when the money would be better added to next.

'We hope that MPs and the Government will listen to teachers,' said Peter Cotgreave, ' because science education is crucial to the nation's future economy'.

ENDS

For further information, contact
Peter Cotgreave on
020 7679 4995
07958 570591