Dolly the Sheep Inspiring Scots to Study Science Rest of the UK Lagging Behind in Uptake of Courses

By SARAH SWAIN

SCOTTISH students are top of the class at science – and it’s all down to Dolly the Sheep.

A new report from The Royal Society – the UK national academy of science – has revealed that Scotland has the largest proportion of students out of all the UK nations carrying on with science and maths after completing their compulsory education.

Last year 12-per cent of 16 year olds in Scotland sat Higher physics, while just 4-per cent of students studied for the equivalent in England.

That figure was 5-per cent in Northern Ireland and 3-per cent in Wales.

In the same year, 28-per cent of 16 years olds in Scotland studied Higher Maths, compared with 8-per cent choosing to continue with the subject in England.

The trend is similar with chemistry and biology.

Professor Michael Reiss, director of education at the Royal Society, said:

“The differences are not just a few per cent, they are major.

“This is partly because of the broader curriculum in Scotland compared to the other UK nations. But it may also be related to a stronger tradition of teaching the sciences separately and the fact practically all Scottish maths and science teachers are specialists.

“At a time when there is widespread concern about there being enough people with these skills, other UK countries need to look what they can learn by examining why Scotland is doing so well.”

Bob Kibble, chairman of the Association for Science Education in Scotland, believes there are a number of reasons as to why students north of the border stick with science – including the success of Scottish scientists throughout history.

He said: “Science enjoys a strong cultural identity in Scotland. Genetic and medical advances like Dolly the Sheep, engineering with James Watt and Robert Stevenson and pure scientists like James Clerk Maxwell seem to hold a respected place in the public eye.

“Separate science subjects also have a strong identity in the Scottish curriculum.

“Virtually every secondary school in Scotland has at least one trained physics specialist and many have physics departments. This ensures pre-16 courses have a strong subject identity resulting in students wanting to extend their positive experiences.”

Originally published by Newsquest Media Group.

(c) 2008 Evening Times; Glasgow (UK). Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.