Most parents think their child’s school needs more high-quality maths and science teachers, a survey shows.
And just four in 10 young people surveyed (40 per cent) from low-income backgrounds said they would consider a career in Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths), according to the YouGov poll.
In the survey, commissioned by charity Teach First, almost nine in 10 parents (88 per cent) said that more high-quality maths and science teachers were needed.
And more than half of polled parents (51 per cent) from a lower socio-economic background believed their children were “unlikely” to have a career in Stem.
The poll results have been published amid spiralling concerns about teacher recruitment and retention, especially in shortage subjects such as the sciences.
As well as surveying 750 parents in the UK, Teach First also asked more than 1,000 11- to 16-year-olds if they would consider a career in Stem.
‘Worrying picture’ for Stem
Just over two-fifths of secondary-age respondents (41.8 per cent) who were from lower socio-economic backgrounds said they would consider a Stem career.
Russell Hobby, CEO of Teach First, said the findings “paint a worrying picture for the UK’s Stem sector”.
“A nationwide skills shortage in science and maths will have dire consequences for our economic growth and stop us tackling urgent problems such as climate change,” Mr Hobby added.
He said that, in order to address the situation, Teach First was calling for ”an increase in pay for trainee teachers in shortage subjects such as maths and science, particularly in low-income areas”.
Pay for maths and science trainees ranges from £20,000 to £30,000, depending on factors such as whether they are taking the salaried route or training via Teach First.
Just 17 per cent of the physics teacher trainees needed were recruited this year, according to government figures.
This is despite the 2022 introduction of a ’“Stem levelling up premium payment” for early career teachers teaching maths, physics, chemistry and computing in around 4,500 eligible state-funded secondary schools across England.
A member of the advisory group for the prime minister’s maths-to-18 plans told Tes in August that providing non-maths teachers with training to teach the subject could be necessary.
The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.
