31/10/07 Trick or Treatment
CaSE's Research and Administrative Assistant, Sarah Hyland, attended the joint annual reception of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and Sense About Science. Television presenter Nick Ross gave a speech entitled 'Trick or Treatment', on the importance of scientific testing of alternative medicines, and the current public misunderstanding of the word 'Chemical'.

23/10/07 School Science Diplomas
CaSE was alarmed by the announcement of new school science diplomas. The fall-out of similar upheavals, the introduction of combined science GCSEs in 1990 and of AS levels and new A levels in Curriculum 2000, had extremely negative consequences for the study of science and mathematics. Hilary Leevers commented: "Expanding the diploma programme before it has even started in most schools, let alone the pilots evaluated, is unwise. Science diplomas may encourage eventual scientists to develop a broader science and mathematics background prior to university, but at the cost of fewer students. It is vital that evidence rather than political motives drives decisions about science teaching in the UK."

19/10/07 Let's Get Research Basics Right
CaSE today published a letter in the Times Higher Educational Supplement, highlighting concerns over research funding. Dr Hilary Leevers, Acting Director, wrote: “The research councils’ proposal that academics justify their work in economic terms (“Research must show pay-off”, October 12) should alarm all who believe in the Haldane principle under which the councils were founded. This states that research councils should allocate funding without political interference. As the Sainsbury’s Review highlighted, government departmental spending on research has declined almost in-step with increases in the science budget. With its constant focus on innovation, the Government seems to be seeking to control research paid for by the research councils rather than funding its own.
The eventual economic gain of investing in broad basic research is well recognised, but there is little evidence that its value can be predicted for individual projects. Let the research councils justify their spending retrospectively, but do not allow them and end-users to allocate funding on the basis of predicted economic impact, especially as not only this, but the end-users themselves, are inherently unpredictable. Philip Esler of Research Councils UK admits of previous funding that “many of the impacts were not necessarily part of the rationale for the specific investment.”
On a more practical level, it seems cruel to introduce these new demands on academics just when they were hoping for a less bureaucratic future with the replacement of the research assesment exercise. Undoubtedly a micro-industry of courses and consultants will follow.
Government departments and industry are welcome to fund late-stage, short-term research with reliable economic gain, but let the research councils fund the bedrock on which this is based.”

18/10/07 UCAS Acceptances Increase
CaSE celebrated preliminary UCAS figures for University acceptances for 2007. Numbers of acceptances increased in all the core sciences, to 4,429 in biology (up 3.3%), to 3,895 in chemistry (up 8.8%) and to 3,219 in physics (up 10%), and in mathematics, to nearly 5,909 places (up 9%), and also in most areas of engineering. The total number of acceptances had risen 5.5% overall, so it was good to see that rises in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and most engineering sectors, reflect an increase in proportion of students taking these valuable subjects. Hilary Leevers commented: "We are pleased and relieved to see more interest in these critical subjects, remembering the large declines that some of them had suffered - we hope students numbers continue to increase substantially. Hopefully, these increases result from improving secondary education and careers advice, and outreach programmes, and are not simply from growing numbers of overseas students (which account for 15% of the overall increase)."

18/10/07 Lords Debate on Science and Education
CaSE noted with great interest a short debate in the House of Lords on Science and Education introduced by Lord Bilimoria. A major concern, discussed by many speakers, was the continuing shortage of specialist mathematics, physics, and to a lesser extent, chemistry teachers. It is estimated that a fifth of physics and chemistry graduates would need to go into teaching to meet government targets. Speakers also expressed concern over the impact of social standing on science and mathematics education and the need to make sure that the general population is scientifically literate in our modern world. Many spoke on the important of mathematics underlying scientific understanding.
Speaking for the Government, Lord Adonis, explained the Government’s proposed actions. CaSE greeted enthusiastically new proposals that £5,000 would be paid to encourage general science teachers and biology specialists to develop further knowledge in physics and chemistry and that the costs of supply teachers will be covered. We urge the Government to make sure that these proposals are indeed fully implemented and with utmost speed.
It is also good news that more systematic information on teacher recruitment and retention in science and mathematics teachers will be collected (by Ofsted). While Lord Adonis stated that the Government will continue to fund science learning centres, he did not state how long for. Plans to improve further mathematics GCSE uptake and careers advised were mentioned as were previously announced moves to increase uptake of separate science GCSEs.

17/10/07 CaSE Annual Distinguished Lecture
CaSE greatly enjoyed hearing the Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, give the CaSE Annual Distinguished Lecture. He spoke widely on "Science and Education" stating that he wanted "to see the influence of science more widespread". He proposed seven points that should be explored to move science and education forward: improving careers advice; financially incentivising students to study science; strengthening the links between schools and universities;improving professional development of teachers; encouraging schools to pay more for science teachers in shortage subjects; supporting schemes in which employers encourage staff to teach; and giving all children the right to study three separate GCSEs in physics, chemistry and biology. David Willetts argued that, with an over-emphasis on 2D (computer and television) experiences, the children of today lack enough practical interaction with the 3D world to enable them to grasp basic scientific principles. He concluded that "Science is fundamentally tied up with wellbeing, not just as adults but as children". The talk prompted many interesting questions and a lively discussion at the following reception.

CaSE thanks the Wellcome Trust for generously co-hosting the event held in the Henry Wellcome Auditorium at the Wellcome Collection.and for providing refreshments and a delicious finger-buffet afterwards.

17/10/07 CaSE Meetings
CaSE's Annual General Meeting and Executive Committee Meeting were held at the offices in Tavistock Square.

10/10/07 Science in the Media
Sarah Hyland, CaSE's Research and Administrative Assistant, attended the launch of There Goes the Science Bit, a magazine by the Voice of Young Science network, which charts their attempts to combat pseudoscience claims in advertising and the media.

10/10/07 NESTA Innovation Policy Breakfast
CaSE was pleased to start the day at the NESTA policy meeting with Professor John Kay exploring the meaning and importance of innovation. It was generally agreed that although innovation can yield competitive advantage, other conditions must be met to do so. Dr Hilary Leevers enjoyed discussing the issues with Professor Kay who agreed with concerns about requiring academics to justify their research in terms of future economic impact.

09/10/07 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review
CaSE was today pleased to hear confirmation that science base funding will rise 2.5% from £5.4 billion in 2007-8 to £6.3 billion by 2010-1. CaSE also enthusiastically greeted the announcement to expand the single fund for health research to £1.7 billion by 2010, although it would be good to have greater clarity on the annual allocations and whether they include future infrastructure investment. CaSE welcomed news that the Government accepts the recommendations of the Sainsbury Review. Dr Hilary Leevers commented: “We are looking forward to the Government taking a more radical approach to solving the shortages in secondary science teachers. It is also time to evaluate and rationalise the many science, engineering, mathematics and technology promotion and enhancement schemes on offer...But, we were disappointed to find little mention of government departmental funding of science. While the science budget for research councils and higher education has increased over the last ten years, funding for science commissioned by government departments (e.g., within the MoD or DeFRA) has decreased by a comparable amount...Furthermore, government has increasingly sought to guide the allocation of funding by the research councils."

Read press release

09/10/07 RCUK: "Excellence with Impact"
CaSE read with interest the Research Councils UK report on maximising the economic impact of research. After reading the report, Hilary Leevers commented: "While it is clearly important and interesting to look back at the economic impact of a specific piece of research, it is not clear that we are able to predict in advance what long-term economic impact research might yield. Given this, the increasing role that economic impact is likely to play in funding decisions is a real cause for concern, as is the increasing influence of government on such decisions."

08/10/07 Under-represented groups in science
CaSE today held an Opinion Forum meeting on Under-Represented Groups in Science & Engineering sponsored by the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology. It was a successful and productive day and a policy document will be produced from it. Speakers included: Annette Williams, Director of UK Resource Centre for Women in SET; Dr Sean McWhinnie on the representation of ethnic groups; Valerie Farrar, on improving the access to science for disabled students; Prof Ijeoma Uchegbu presenting a personal perspective; and Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith, on how social-disadvantage affects children's educational opportunities.

link to UK Resource Centre for Women in SET
link to Breakthrough Britain from the Centre for Social Justice
link to report on Ethnic Groups in Chemistry and Physics
link to Premia project on improving access for Disabled Students

05/10/07 Creationism in Schools
In response to publication of a book on how to deal with creationism in science lessons, CaSE drew attention to the very sensible Government guidelines in this area. These state that creationism is not part of the science syllabus, but if a child asks a question about creationism, then it provides an opportunity to discuss the difference between a religious belief and a scientific theory. Professor Richard Joyner commented on BBC News 24 "if creationism is brought up the views of the pupils should be treated with respect and treated seriously. It should be pointed out to them that what science tends to be about is looking for evidence so they should be asked and challenged for what the evidence is for the view that they take."

Read text of Interview

05/10/07 Sainsbury Review
CaSE welcomed publication of the Sainsbury Review today. In today's press release, Hilary Leevers commented: “It provides an extremely useful overview of where we are now and how to bring the many disjointed strands promoting science and innovation together. However, the focus was consistently on innovation without much concern for the science underlying it. The review highlighted the decline of government department funding of science and made recommendations to increase it, unfortunately too late for this Comprehensive Spending Review. It was encouraging to read of plans to increase government procurement, something CaSE has been campaigning for.
"The Sainsbury Review has captured the main issues in science and engineering education, including the mismatch between STEM subjects that students choose to study on the one hand and job opportunities and the needs of the economy on the other. The review recommends an improvement of careers advice to remedy the situation but stops short of offering more radical solutions. It was not surprising to see that Lord Sainsbury recognises the severity of the shortages of specialist secondary science teachers and joins many calls upon the Government to provide additional funding for current teachers to retrain into a shortage subjects. It was disappointing that such a lengthy document only made passing reference to the under-representation of many groups, such as women and some ethnic minorities, given that rectifying the situation is not only morally right but would drive forward science and innovation in the UK.”

Read press release

03/10/07 Save School Science
CaSE has kept secondary science education on the political agenda during the the party conference season. In a piece in Parliamentary Monitor, circulated to all delegates at all three conferences, Hilary Leevers argues that it is time to take radical action.

Read text of article

 
01/10/07 Professor Beddington Confirmed as GCSA
Hilary Leevers, Acting Director of CaSE, previously commented: "This is great news. Professor Beddington is an influential and respected scientist." However, she went on to express concerns that the position of CSA retained its importance and direct influence on the Prime Minister and Cabinet in the reorganised Government.