CBI applauds A-level students but warns too few study science

Richard Lambert, CBI Director-General, congratulated students today (Thursday) on their achievements at A level, but warned that too few are studying physics and chemistry to address a growing shortage of scientists and engineers.

This morning's results showed that 27,466 students studied physics A level, a marginal increase of 0.4% on last year, but a decrease of 17.4% since 1997. Meanwhile, 40,285 studied chemistry, again a slight increase on 2006 of 0.6%, but a decline over the past decade of 4.7%.

Encouragingly, the number who studied Maths rose by 7.3% on last year to 60,093, an increase of 4,111 pupils. However there has been a fall of 10.4% in student numbers since 2000.

Mr Lambert said: Employers congratulate students and their teachers on today's results - their hard work is well worth it. A levels are highly rated by firms as an indicator of ability and commitment, and they are the gateway to the graduate skills that employers are crying out for.

Businesses are far more worried about the low numbers studying chemistry, physics and maths than they are about the grade inflation debate. We are facing a growing skills shortage in these areas that has serious implications for the future health of our economy.

Numbers studying physics are little more than flatlining at a time when they need to rise sharply.

Both maths and chemistry have rallied from their low points in recent years, but neither is seeing the interest they enjoyed less than a decade ago, and the economy needs far more young people with these skills.

The sharp increase in maths this year is really pleasing, and we hope that momentum will accelerate further.

The long term decline in maths and sciences has taken place against soaring take-up of other subjects. Since 2000 the number taking media studies A level has shot up by 104% to 31,942, while the number taking psychology has grown 72% to 52,048.

The CBI recognises the Government has started to address the science shortfall but is calling for a much greater sense of urgency.

It has proposed a five point plan for action across the schools and universities system to get more young people interested in science, and help deliver the extra 2.4m science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) qualified staff needed by 2014. It wants to see:

Bursaries for STEM students worth 1000 per year towards their tuition fees - at a total cost of around 200m a year - to reflect the importance of these skills to the UK economy.

The brightest 40% of 14-year-olds automatically opted into separate physics, chemistry and biology GCSE courses instead of the stripped-down science now studied by most. Just 8% of 16-year-olds currently take three science GCSEs.

120m of new funding to pay for one-to-one careers advice at ages 14, 16 and 18, which will help challenge misperceptions about science and engineering degrees. The CBI says companies also need to take further steps to encourage young people into these careers.

Better-equipped school science labs. A quarter of labs are unsafe or unsatisfactory according to the Royal Society of Chemistry, yet much of the 200m allocated by the government to solve this remains unspent.

More specialist science teachers to inspire youngsters. Currently, one in four schools for 11- to 16-year-olds do not have a specialist physics teacher. Whilst new 5,000 'golden hello' payments are starting to increase the number of science graduates training as teachers, more resources are needed.