Hartlebury's MP calls for curriculum to promote sciences careers (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Hartlebury's MP calls for curriculum to promote sciences careers

8:10am Friday 22nd March 2013 in Local

MORE young people - especially girls - could become interested in science, technology and engineering careers with an improved school curriculum according to Hartlebury’s MP.

Conservative Peter Luff was reacting to the outcome of a debate held in the House of Commons on Wednesday. He had secured the debate on the Government’s proposed new National Curriculum for Design and Technology (D&T). The draft came under fire from industrialists and academics for not addressing the realities of modern engineering and placing too great an emphasis on cooking.

Speaking after the debate, Mr Luff said: “It is so important that the Government gets this right because we have a desperate shortage of engineers and technicians in the UK and the D&T curriculum is one of the best long-term ways of addressing that shortage.”

In his speech he had said: “The two greatest avoidable threats to our prosperity and security are the deficit and science, technology, engineering and maths - STEM - skill shortages. A good Design and Technology Curriculum can make a major contribution to addressing this second issue.”

He added: “Students need to experience the reality of STEM in the modern world to understand it and for this they need real project work and real industry partners to bring it all to life, making design and technology fun, relevant and stimulating.”

He concluded by saying: “The Prime Minister rightly says we are in a global race and he didn’t mean a pancake race.”

Following the debate Mr Luff said: “A good D&T curriculum helps students to appreciate the uses of maths and physics and will inspire many young people - and, I suspect, especially girls - to pursue careers in science, technology and engineering.”