Criticism of maths in chemistry grows
A series of reports have questioned whether A-level education adequately prepares students to study the sciences at university
Within the space of two weeks, three major reports heaped criticism on the ability of A-levels to prepare students for the form and content of undergraduate science degrees. A major target was mathematics education, with a report from SCORE (Science Community Representing Education) claiming science A-levels fail to equip students with appropriate maths skills.
The report, which analysed the maths covered in 2010 A-level exams in biology, chemistry and physics, found that many mathematical topics were only assessed in a limited way in the exams, if at all, and tended to be 'covered repeatedly and often at a lower level of difficulty than required'.
The study also reported a disparity in how maths is assessed between exam boards and across the sciences, for example with complex mathematical questions featuring more prominently in one exam board's assessment than another.
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