Business leaders have warned that the “sheer scale of prescription” in the new science curriculum in England will leave students little time for practical experiments. The future prosperity of the economy depends on inspiring young people to take up careers in science, but they will be turned off the subject unless they get hands-on experience, the CBI said. It also raised concerns about proposals for design and technology lessons, suggesting that the plans “lack academic or technical rigour” and are “out of step with the needs of a modern economy”. The comments came as the consultation into the government’s new draft national curriculum closed.