By Alex Klaushofer
05 June 2009
Councils and teachers have dismissed claims by the Conservatives that some local authority areas in England are failing to enter pupils for separate science GCSEs.
The figures, compiled by the Conservatives based on data in the House of Commons Library, show that 1,280 pupils took exams in separate sciences in England in 2008.
Fewer than half of comprehensive schools entered at least one pupil for physics, chemistry or biology, they revealed. Most pupils study combined science at GCSE.
Two local authorities – Islington and Slough – entered no pupils for separate science GCSEs, the Tories claimed.
Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb said: ‘It is truly shocking that there are whole areas of England where not a single child has the opportunity to sit separate science GCSEs. Without a good understanding of physics, chemistry or biology at the age of 16, it is almost impossible for pupils to get top marks in these subjects at A-level and progress to a science degree at a top university.’
Standards in science education were falling behind those in other countries, he added. ‘Ministers must urgently wake up to the fact that other countries are racing ahead of us – we have slipped from fourth to fourteenth in the international rankings.’
But a spokesman for Islington council said the claims were inaccurate. ‘Pupils are entering separate sciences at two of our schools,’ he said. ‘We want more of our young people to study separate sciences and have successfully bid for a grant to help us achieve this.’
The National Union of Teachers rejected the idea that Britain was falling behind other countries in the teaching of science subjects.
‘The reality is that only a small group of Pacific Rim countries come above England in achievement in maths and science in the world rankings for ten-year-olds,’ said NUT general secretary Christine Blower.
Schools minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry said: ‘To suggest that other countries are “racing ahead” of us is simply not true.’
She added that a recent survey showed that young people in England were the most consistently high performers in maths and science in Europe among the countries that participated.
