FEATURE


SKILLS & TRAINING


Learning science empirically


By DR ANDREW ROLLASON, Director of Empirical Science Education


Science is a fascinating and rewarding subject. It can open students’ eyes to the modern world around them and expand their career horizons. Science teaches critical thinking, accuracy and precision,


all desirable skills that are advocated by many employers. Gross value added per capita, at £90,000, is high


compared to other sectors. So if science is so valuable, why does the industry


consistently bemoan the lack of preparedness and practical skills among school and university leavers? Britain’s educational system has placed its long and


proud worldwide reputation for scientific and technological excellence in severe crisis. The ‘brain drain’ of the late eighties, which saw highly- skilled science graduates leaving for distant shores with the


promise of better job prospects, has long ended. Where British corporates once matched foreign opportunities in order to retain their homegrown skills base, such industries now face a different challenge. Increasing educational spending cuts, safety concerns


and a dwindling number of science teachers have left today’s UK talent less prepared for a science career. Why? Class demonstrations and computer simulations have


almost replaced the individual skills training once gained in laboratories. An increasing trend for MOOCS (Massive Online Open


Courses – short courses delivered online to large audiences) to education leaves little hope that school-leavers will have the functional skills needed in industrial practice.


Dr Andrew Rollason


26 business network June 2016


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