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Mathematics: the foundation of STEM. John Holman. Michael Gove at the Royal Society 29 June 2011.
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Mathematics: the foundation of STEM John Holman
Michael Gove at the Royal Society 29 June 2011 • We are also committed to the existing programmes that have proven their worth over the past few years. For instance, the performance of the Further Maths Support Programme has been outstanding. The growth in the number taking Further Maths A level is testament to their success.
Outline of my talk The importance of STEM Mathematics in STEM Some policy drivers Post-16 mathematics: a challenge for us all The most important thing to get right
Outline of my talk The importance of STEM Mathematics in STEM Some policy drivers Post-16 mathematics: a challenge for us all The most important thing to get right
Moore’s Law Computing power doubles every 18 months
CBI Education and Skills Survey, 2010 Responses from 694 employers
National Skills Audit 2010UK Commission for Employment and Skills predicts growth of highly skilled work importance of increased skill levels for future growth decline in lower skilled jobs especially fast-growing demand for STEM-skilled technicians.
Source: C. Humphries (2006) Skills in a Global Economy, City and Guilds
Outline of my talk The importance of STEM Mathematics in STEM Some policy drivers Post-16 mathematics: a challenge for us all The most important thing to get right
A Level Maths earns a premium Both graduates and non-graduates who took maths A-level ended up earning on average 10 per cent more than those of similar ability and background who did not. CENTRE FOR ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE 1999
First year Chemists at the University of York • About two-thirds of students have AS or A level mathematics
First year Chemists at the University of York • First course: Gases and Equilibria • handouts
Outline of my talk The importance of STEM Mathematics in STEM Some policy drivers Post-16 mathematics: a challenge for us all The most important thing to get right
Some policy drivers The economy
Some policy drivers The economy International comparisons
Michael Gove at the Royal Society 29 June 2011 • In the last decade, we have plummeted down the international league tables: from 4th to 16th place in science; and from 8th to 28th in maths. While other countries – particularly Asian nations - have raced ahead we have, in the words of the OECD’s Director of Education, “stagnated.”
Some policy drivers The economy International comparisons Revision of the national curriculum
Some policy drivers The economy International comparisons Revision of the national curriculum Wolf report on vocational education
Some policy drivers The economy International comparisons Revision of the national curriculum Wolf report on vocational education Post-16 participation
Outline of my talk The importance of STEM Mathematics in STEM Some policy drivers Post-16 mathematics: a challenge for us all The most important thing to get right
A Level Mathematics entries, 1996-2009 A level maths
STEM A Level Entries Increases in A Level entries, 2005-2009
A larger increase in females entering A level maths than males 9,800 more male pupils in 2009. This is a 34% increase on 2005 8,700 more female pupils in 2009. This is a 50% increase on 2005
Greater increases in sixth form colleges and maintained sixth forms A Level Maths
Coe, R J, Searle, J, Barmby, P, Jones, K and Higgins, S (2008) Relative difficulty of examinations in different subjects, Curriculum, Evaluation and Management Centre, Durham University
FE achievements in STEM Royal Academy of Engineering FE data project
FE achievements in STEM Of the qualifications achieved in 2008/09:
Student participation in mathematics post-16 Table from ACME’s Mathematical Needs: Mathematics in the workplace and in HE report, based on data from the Nuffield Foundation’s Is the UK an Outlier? report.
Student participation in mathematics post-16 Table from ACME’s Mathematical Needs: Mathematics in the workplace and in HE report, based on data from the Nuffield Foundation’s Is the UK an Outlier? report.
Mathematical 17 year olds • 660,000 in the cohort • 286,000 did A levels • 85,000 did AS or A level Maths • ACME estimates that 120,000 need to do maths for science and engineering, and 60,000 for social science.
Michael Gove at the Royal Society 29 June 2011 • That is why I think we should set a new goal for the education system so that within a decade the vast majority of pupils are studying maths right through to the age of 18.