A report from the Wellcome Trust says 29% of GCSE students reported doing practical science less than once a month. What did twitter have to say in response?

Ours do a lot more but it’s a struggle with lack of a budget and lack of technician hours :(

Phil Wilson

Depends which part of the syllabus you are teaching - some of it (astro ,for example) can be fairly practical free

Mariona Frankland

we have 1 technician serving nine teachers. He’s a saint but it’s harder to do practicals often

Tom Husband

Often, there’s so much content to teach and limited time

Janine Evans John

We do far more than that

Sue Smith

I studied three sciences at GCE a long long time ago. One double lesson practical per science per week. I was alarmed to hear how little practical work there is in GCSE science in the 21st century. Reasons include time pressures, cost, health and safety. Result: 2 million person black hole in the STEM economy in the next ten years. We don’t need scientists and engineers that can sit and listen to a teacher. We need scientists and engineers that can actually do stuff with their hands.

Sean O’Sheal

Add in the fact that experienced technicians are leaving and retiring, or being made redundant quite often they are replaced with people who have never been technicians before because slt think anyone can do it. Also add in budget cuts where science departments don’t have enough money to even buy basic chemicals I help mentor our student teachers as do many techs, I help with sorting out what pracs are good and effective and keep a good eye on health and safety. We do loads of pracs but I know of many schools where this isn’t the case. This is simply a storing up problems for the future and I thank God that my kids have finished education and I can step down in a few years and do something else

Sue Smith

Practical work doesn’t help students understand the content in most places in the gcse curriculum. The 2016 curriculum is better. See what students say in 2019.

Helen Rogerson, via Facebook

Ours do loads almost a practical every lesson in a large school that’s a heavy workload. More technical help would be the best way forward in my opinion but it is hard to raise the technical profile.It a pity there is no recognised professional body.Ase have been doing great work but proper fiscal renumeration would be a good answer.

Marie Guinness, via Facebook

docendo discimus has taken a closer look at what the survey says about practical work in schools and college

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