SCHOOL PUPILS are not properly served by secondary school science courses, leaving them poorly equipped at university or in employment, according to one of the UK’s leading cosmologists.

Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society, claimed UK schools are failing to capture the interest of young people at school and encourage them to study science. He argued in The Guardian that children weren’t receiving an adequate grounding in science whilst at school.

He said, “University tutors are dismayed that so many young people aren’t sufficiently prepared by schools to qualify for the most challenging courses. Businesses find that many aren’t qualified for apprenticeships.”

Rees stated that, whilst in many cases it was helpful, new technology, “can never eliminate the need for high-quality professionals in the classroom.” He also suggested that pupils were distanced from the science and technology around them, having no understanding of how new technologies work.

Less than one in three primary schools have a teacher with a university qualification in a scientific discipline. Furthermore, a study by King’s College London showed that primary school teachers were less confident in teaching Science than they were about English or Maths.

The Student spoke to several students at the university who agreed with Rees, saying school left them poorly equipped to study at university, and that there was a large learning curve involved.
Third year medic Neil McIntyre said that his school did not offer the best courses to prepare him for study at University. He said, “My school didn’t do Human Biology, just Biology - I think that might have prepared me better.”

Third year Biomedical Science student Carmel Lawson said, “In primary school, there was more emphasis on painting stained glass windows than on anything to do with science. In high school, the means to study the sciences were there but very little was done to inspire passion about the subject.”

Cameron Dean, studying physics, told The Student: “There is no training at school on how to properly organise and record results. I noticed this across my whole year, which includes many international students.

“Many of the most important parts of theory are simply missed out when explained in school.”

When asked about the importance of studying science, he said, “It enables us to learn about the world.“The answers are already there and science allows us to find them and the findings can benefit the entire world in an applicable way. The scientist who cures cancer doesn’t just benefit themselves.”

However, the perceived lack of preparation does not seem to have a wholly negative effect on students’ studies.Professor Colin Pulham, Director of Teaching in the School of Chemistry told The Student that he found new students at Edinburgh to be motivated and prepared for their further study.

He said: “Students arrive inspired and ready to tackle chemistry and other related and challenging subjects. The university does a lot to reach out to schools nationally and encourage them to aspire to achieve their highest potential.”