The current science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem)-focused bursaries will not prove “anywhere near sufficient” to tackle long-standing teacher shortages, particularly in physics and computer science, a committee of MPs has warned today.
This finding comes in a House of Commons Science and Technology Committee inquiry report into diversity and inclusion in Stem, which has been published this morning.
It recommends that the government set a target for every pupil to be taught Stem subjects by teachers with subject-specific qualifications by 2030.
“There are clear benefits when children are taught by teachers with qualifications, professional experience or specialism in those subjects. The government should set a target for every child to be taught Stem subjects by teachers with qualifications in that subject by the end of the decade,” the report says.
The committee has also said teachers should be given access to improved, mandatory CPD to ensure their knowledge remains up to date, “which is particularly important in Stem subjects where there are new discoveries and developments on a regular basis”.
And it also highlights “long-standing challenges” with the recruitment and retention of Stem teachers and says Stem teacher salaries “must be as competitive as possible with the private sector”.
The report welcomes the new Stem-focused bursaries and wider efforts by the government to recruit and retain Stem teachers.
But it warns: “However, we do not think the amounts currently on offer will prove anywhere near sufficient to address long-standing shortages, particularly in subjects such as computer science and physics. The fact that such a significant proportion of current university graduates in Stem subjects would be needed to address the shortfall underlines the scale of the challenge.”
The committee also wants to know from the government if any further interventions are planned for subjects where recruitment targets are unlikely to be met.
It also asks the government whether it has undertaken any assessment of the impact that increased numbers of Stem graduates from university courses would have on teaching workforce shortages, and whether it has any plans to grow the number of Stem graduates entering the teaching workforce.
The committee suggests one way of alleviating the pressure would be to increase the number of initial teacher training recruits with industry experience, and it welcomes the government’s nationwide rollout of a scheme designed in partnership with the engineering sector.
Pupils from some backgrounds, such as black Caribbean, are clearly underrepresented across Stem subjects at both GCSE and A level, the report found, others, such as pupils from Chinese backgrounds, are often well-represented.
The MPs want to know what the government intends to do about a lack of access to studying biology, chemistry and physics at GCSE - triple science - which they say is a decisive factor for many pupils in determining whether they study Stem subjects at university and enter the Stem workforce.
For pupils who do not continue with Stem subjects post-16, they call for the requirement to study core maths or a core science-type course.
The MPs heard evidence from contributors who say that all children should be able to see themselves in what they learn from an early age.
With that in mind, the inquiry report recommends that the national curriculum and exam subject specifications should be kept under review and updated where it is appropriate to the context to include more diverse examples, such as female scientists.
They also said the careers advice and support pupils receive from the earliest years must promote diverse and inclusive role models
Committee chair Greg Clark MP said: “Despite many well-intentioned efforts from the government, research funders, universities and civil society over the years, Stem still has a diversity problem.
“No one intervention can solve this, it is a complex challenge that requires a systemic solution. As well as better data, we need targeted interventions that really make a difference.
“The nascent Department for Science, Innovation and Technology must take up this mantle to achieve its goal of making the UK a science and technology superpower. We are clear that diverse backgrounds, perspectives and ideas don’t just make business sense, they are essential to the fair and just society we want to live in.”
