Science teachers should be paid more in a bid to tackle recruitment problems, according to an influential new report.

Sir Gareth Roberts, who has been reviewing the supply of scientists for the Treasury, also says heads and governors should use “all the pay flexibility at their disposal” to ensure maths and science teachers are better off.

Scientists can get such high salaries in industries that there is less incentive for them to go into teaching, he told The TES.

He added: “It is clear that market pressures need to be reflected better in the remuneration offered to teachers,” and proposed that pay should also be linked to continuing professional development.

The proposal is opposed by the National Union of Teachers. A spokesperson said the suggestion was “laughable”, adding: “How can you say that one subject is more important than another?”

Eamonn O’Kane, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, was more cautious. “If you put any subject on a completely separate pay scale, you are creating difficulties. Other subjects can become shortage subjects and then you are into a vicious circle.”

He added it should be tackled with golden hellos and recruitment and retention allowances.

Sir Gareth also says it is more difficult for pupils to get high marks in science and maths, and that the disparity must be wiped out to encourage more of them to stick with the subjects.

His report, published on the eve of the Budget, contains a raft of high-spending suggestions. Sir Gareth said he was confident the Treasury would find the money.

“These recommendations do entail significant cost,” he said. “But the problems in secondaries are probably the most important of all.”

One proposal is that an army of undergraduate and postgraduate students should be paid to help out in science and design and technology classes in schools. Sir Gareth said the scheme should be introduced urgently. “The Government should set an ambitious target for the number of science and engineering university students who should be participating in such a scheme by 2005,” says the report.

It also recommends a programme of investment in school laboratories, adding that only about a third are currently of a good standard.

Trainee teachers should receive “significantly more training aimed at improving their teaching of areas of science in which they have not specialised,” he says, adding that physics in schools tends to suffer from being taught by biologists.

The report has been dogged by rumours that its recommendations had upset the Department for Education and Skills. But Sir Gareth denied this, saying: “They have been nothing but helpful.”

Margaret Hodge, the minister for lifelong learning, said: “We will look to build on our progress so far in tackling the challenges posed by Sir Gareth’s report but our work to improve and promote science education has been acknowledged.”

* Mike Tomlinson, the chief inspector of schools, is to head the Government’s Science Year effort. Mr Tomlinson, a former chemistry teacher, will take on the role after his retirement from the Office for Standards in Education at the end of the month. He replaces Nigel Paine who has moved to the BBC to become its director of training.

SIR GARETH’S PROPOSALS

* Pay science and maths teachers more

* Pay thousands of university students to help out in school science lessons

* Make sure it is no harder to get an A in maths and science than in other subjects

* Train special careers advisers to explain why pupils should study science and engineering at university

* Invest money to bring all school labs up to scratch

* Boost subject-related CPD for science teachers

* Increase science element in teacher training