A lost incentive?

Shocking figures have recently been released indicating a worrying drop in the number of children deciding to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics at A-Level and higher education. As a recent physics graduate and now junior school teacher, this is a subject that is very close to my heart and concerns me deeply.

The ‘Stimulating Physics’ initiative, which works in partnership with the Institute of Physics has highlighted some particular statistics that indicate the vulnerability of such an important discipline. For example, the number of A-Level entries for physics has fallen by over a third in the last 15 years, leading to a third of UK universities' physics departments closing. On top of this, the number of girls applying for the subject drops every year from an already low starting point. And apparently most physics graduates come from a higher socio-economic group.

It is society’s responsibility, as a whole, to make these subjects more accessible to young people

With the dramatic drop in students studying these critical STEM subjects, I feel it is time to ask why the desire for knowledge in these areas has all but disappeared, with the hope of improving these statistics in the future. Many theories have been put forward, including the discouragement by parents to take up science and the view that physics has always been a more masculine subject, which emphasises the difficulty of achieving a qualification in STEM subjects. I have worked with the 'Stimulating Physics' initiative to try and find an answer to this contentious question and I have come to believe the answer, in fact, lies in the state of the world’s economy.

Previous generations were far less driven by financial gain on the whole. With credit not available people bought only what they could afford and did not accrue the huge debts that we see in today’s society. Without these huge financial problems people may be more driven by a passion to gain knowledge rather than a need to make money. This could explain the statistic that most physics graduates are drawn from the higher end of the socio-economic scale. Without the need to be financially independent, they can afford to spend more time studying, researching and gaining knowledge. There are so many degrees accessible to young people nowadays which could be seen as a quick way in to higher paying jobs, making the scientific degrees less attractive.

Our beloved Physics Department may be under threat

The answer, however, could lie in the far more fundamental political situation the country has found itself in. We live in a society that enables the government to help those who need financial help, but, like all helpful initiatives, this is taken for granted. People have no incentive to stretch themselves to the boundary of their intelligence because they have an easy way out offered to them. STEM subjects require persistence and dedication and maybe these qualities are being lost in a society of benefits and government handouts.

Whatever the answer I think it is society’s responsibility, as a whole, to make these subjects more accessible to young people, in order to benefit from the scientific and technological advances that come about from an interest in these essential areas of study.

Add Comment

You must log in to submit a comment.