RSSeNEWS to be determined...

The Science and Learning Expert Group published, in February, a report entitled ‘Science and Mathematics Secondary Education for the 21st Century’, under the chairmanship of Sir Mark Walport. The report’s recommendations include:

• maintaining and extending programmes for recruitment of science and mathematics specialists to teaching
• more emphasis on updating subject specialist skills in the Professional Standards for Teachers
• continued government funding for NCETM (National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics)
• boosting the mathematics content within 14-19 science education, particularly for chemistry and physics A levels
• if the pilot is successful, making the linked pair of mathematics GCSEs available to all students
• stopping the practice of awarding bodies endorsing textbooks
• restricting modular examination sittings to a single period during the summer term.

The full report can be found on the BIS website.