Letters - March 2010

By 2010-03-01T00:00:00

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Call for clarity on Science Diploma and 'Standards bubble' bursts

Call for clarity on Science Diploma

David Fox, Pfizer Global R&D

I enjoyed reading Ken Gadd's article on the advanced Science Diploma in the last issue (Educ. Chem., 2010, 47 (1), 2). Gadd made clear the opportunities and challenges associated with this diploma. However, I would like to challenge his assertion at the end, where he states: 'the notion that a different core of scientific and mathematical skills and knowledge is needed if a student is going into employment as opposed to HE [higher education] is difficult to justify.' 

As an employer and as a parent, I think the advanced Science Diploma has the potential to be an outstanding product. My worry is that it will falter as a result of confusion among teachers, students and parents on the crucial question of who it is aimed at.  

The cross-disciplinary and exploratory approach to learning would, I believe, offer different benefits to different cohorts. At the top-end, it could represent the gold standard for A-levels, providing a suitable mix of subject content, contextualisation and the opportunity to develop thinking/problem-solving skills. This is a potent combination that HE and research-based employers will be crying out for over the next decade. 

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