Addressing the STEM UK skills shortage
Shaun Reason examines CaSE’s proposals to make the UK a leading scientific nation
As the 2015 UK general election approaches, the political football of education will be bouncing around even more vigorously than it was in 2014. Everyone (well almost everyone) has experienced some form of education and therefore has a view; many believe they know best, including our dear politicians who know their anecdotal statements can be vote winners.
Last year, the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) took a more measured view by consulting widely with the science and engineering community about the changes necessary to meet the STEM UK skills shortage. This led, in October 2014, to CaSE publishing three election briefing documents with the aim of influencing political manifestos. They set out feasible and practical actions, with an ambitious goal, to make the UK a leading scientific nation in the next term of parliament.
Of the actions CaSE lists, I shall focus on just five that I believe, if adopted, would have the greatest impact on science and chemistry education in our schools.
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