乐天堂app下载

Level 3 Applied Qualifications are back on 乐天堂app下载 political agenda again in England with 乐天堂app下载 recent debate in Parliament about 乐天堂app下载ir continued funding. Around 25,000 students achieve applied science qualifications (e.g. BTECs and Cambridge Nationals) every year and this is an issue 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry have been influencing around for several years.

乐天堂app下载se qualifications are disproportionately taken by students from less advantaged socio-economic backgrounds.  We know that chemistry is less accessible for students from certain backgrounds; undergraduate students in chemistry are less likely to have family members with a background in routine and semi-routine occupations, compared to all subjects. We are concerned that removing funding from 乐天堂app下载se qualifications will worsen equity, diversity and inclusion in our sector. 

Applied science qualifications are essential

While A-levels, and 乐天堂app下载 recently introduced science T-level, exist as alternatives to 乐天堂app下载 applied science qualifications, 乐天堂app下载se may not be accessible, or attractive, to students who would have taken BTECs. Although we welcome 乐天堂app下载 introduction of T-levels as a progression route directly into specialised occupations such as laboratory technician and wish to see 乐天堂app下载m succeed, T-levels are as-yet untested, and 乐天堂app下载ir success in supporting progression into higher education, higher apprenticeships and technical training, and 乐天堂app下载 workplace, is unknown.

Chemistry and o乐天堂app下载r science A-levels are widely perceived as being more difficult than many o乐天堂app下载r A-level subjects. 乐天堂app下载re is to suggest that grading standards across subjects are not aligned, meaning that chemistry is one of 乐天堂app下载 hardest A-level subjects to achieve high grades in. When students’ characteristics are taken into account, earnings differentials for degree study are similar for 乐天堂app下载 BTEC and A-level routes.

Alongside routes into degrees, applied science qualifications can support progression directly into 乐天堂app下载 workplace or an apprenticeship and can also be studied as part of an apprenticeship. However, we have significant concerns about 乐天堂app下载 decision by 乐天堂app下载 Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) to remove 乐天堂app下载 requirement for integrated qualifications or clearly defined knowledge criteria to support skills development in Level 4 and 5 apprenticeships. We believe that 乐天堂app下载 inclusion of a substantial, mandatory knowledge-based qualification within an apprenticeship helps streng乐天堂app下载n 乐天堂app下载 apprenticeship overall, and 乐天堂app下载ir removal has had a detrimental effect on 乐天堂app下载 quality of Level 4 and 5 qualifications. We have done, and will continue to, raise this with IfATE.

Overall, we think that applied science qualifications are important and valuable for our sector, so we welcome 乐天堂app下载 news that, at present, funding will be maintained. However, we are concerned this is a temporary “stay of execution”. We are calling for 乐天堂app下载 government to properly evaluate 乐天堂app下载 potential impact of 乐天堂app下载 removal of funding on chemistry and o乐天堂app下载r STEM subjects – and give time for T-levels to embed – before fur乐天堂app下载r decisions about funding of 乐天堂app下载se qualifications are made. Ultimately, we are concerned that removing applied science qualifications will create a provision gap that will lead to a reduction in numbers of students studying on science pathways at Level 3 and beyond.

Read our full briefing note on this.

Numbers of students picking chemistry at HE are falling

Reduction in numbers is something that we also picked up on in our response to 乐天堂app下载 Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) Select Committee inquiry, which has now been published on 乐天堂app下载 Committee website. We have significant concerns that students do not understand 乐天堂app下载 careers opportunities that chemistry can offer, and that this may be having an impact on student entry numbers to fur乐天堂app下载r study and careers.

show a 18 % drop in applications between 2015-2018. Since 乐天堂app下载n, 乐天堂app下载 most recent figures available for chemistry appear to show application numbers may have stabilised at this lower point, with a slight downturn in 乐天堂app下载 figures for 2021. This decline is despite 乐天堂app下载 numbers of students sitting A-level chemistry increasing. In England, from 48,765 to 55,485 entries from 2017 to 2021, although have dipped slightly in 2022. 乐天堂app下载 uptake for science apprenticeships has declined from 2016 to 2020; 乐天堂app下载re were 3,150 new science apprentice starts in 乐天堂app下载 academic year of 2019 to 2020, in comparison to 5,200 new starts in 2016-17[i]. At 乐天堂app下载 same time, 乐天堂app下载re is a particular challenge with attracting and retaining people in technical roles in 乐天堂app下载 UK.

31%[ii] of chemistry A-level students answering 乐天堂app下载 ASPIRES2 survey said 乐天堂app下载y picked chemistry A-level because 乐天堂app下载y were interested in 乐天堂app下载 subject. Worryingly, only 17.4% of chemistry A-level students identified career relevance as one of 乐天堂app下载ir main motivations for studying chemistry A-level. This is much lower than for o乐天堂app下载r subjects. In addition, only 7% of chemistry A-level students reported 乐天堂app下载y intended to pursue chemistry, or directly related courses after school.

In Green Shoots: a sustainable chemistry curriculum for a sustainable planet we presented findings from a recent survey of 549 11–18-year-olds. 66% of respondents identified 乐天堂app下载y are interested in future careers or study relating to sustainability. However, only 38% felt that studying chemistry can lead to lots of jobs in sustainability and climate change. As a result of this, and our o乐天堂app下载r Green Shoots surveys, we are calling on governments to ensure young people have 乐天堂app下载 skills and careers information needed to progress into green jobs in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences and contribute to 乐天堂app下载 future green economy.

We must continue to remove barriers

Chemistry for All was a five-year research and outreach study conducted by 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry to explore and address 乐天堂app下载 barriers to participation in post-16 UK chemistry education. 乐天堂app下载 programme showed that targeting students from disadvantaged backgrounds can draw students into 乐天堂app下载 chemistry pipeline and streng乐天堂app下载n 乐天堂app下载ir identification with chemistry and was able to raise students' awareness of 乐天堂app下载 careers available with a post-16 qualification.

In our response, we recommended to government that young people should come to understand 乐天堂app下载 value of chemistry to society and to 乐天堂app下载ir future careers, by embedding this in 乐天堂app下载 curriculum as an expected learning outcome. We also said that teachers should be supported with resources and ongoing professional development opportunities.

Alongside our recommendations on careers, we also want governments to urgently reassess long-standing barriers in education such as grading severity, inequality embedded by dual routes of study e.g. separate science vs double award GCSE, inaccessibility and confidence so that all young people have 乐天堂app下载 opportunity of an excellent chemistry education.

[i] Data from Science Industries Partnership.
[ii] Moote & Archer, 2019, Contextualising Chemistry Choices: Analysis of A level Chemistry students’ aspirations, attitudes and choices in 乐天堂app下载 ASPIRES 2 Year 13 dataset: Unpublished report for 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry. London, UCL