Today’s Education in the media blog focuses on the number of girls taking physics and other STEM subjects.
Balancing Physics
Today, Friday 10 August, The Daily Mirror and Metro both ran stories on the number of girls studying physics.
The department is actively working to encourage more girls to study physics, primarily through the Stimulating Physics Network - This is a £2.15m a year initiative that delivers a range of programmes in schools to help address the gender imbalance in physics including building girls’ resilience, as well as tackling wider gender norms.
The government is also looking to boost skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects, and increase their uptake. This includes improving careers advice in schools by offering opportunities to meet STEM employers and highlighting the wide range of STEM apprenticeship opportunities available to young people. As well as this, we are investing £400m of funding to help build and improve STEM resources and infrastructure.
A DfE spokesperson said:
Sciences, technology, engineering and maths can open the door to a range of exciting careers and give children the skills they need for the future. Since 2010, at A levels, we’ve seen a rise in entries to STEM subjects, including record numbers studying maths, making it the most popular subject.
We’re taking a range of steps to encourage more pupils to study these subjects including an investment of more than £2million a year in the Stimulating Physics Network, which includes a programme specifically designed to increase the number of girls taking A Level physics.
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