Jamie is a Physics Teacher
I’m afraid I agree with Rick on the front page, I see nothing to indicate that government will listen to us at this level, which is very worrying. I’m new to teaching and teach Physics in Leeds, having thoroughly enjoyed GCSEs, A-Levels and then University (back in the 1990s). Sure the subject was difficult but I found the satisfaction of completing a particularly tough calculation almost tangible at the time and that very much kept my interest in the subject, whilst I was at school certainly, alive, the subject was fascinating enough in its own right once I got to University.
Now I see that the new syllabuses rely more and more on the discussion of science through ‘how science works’. In many cases subject areas that used to be calculation heavy are now discussed in an historical context. This of course covers the subject so ministers can say that exams are no easier now than they used to be, but it takes out much of the science that I found so compelling whilst I was at school. Granted some students will not engage with a more mathematically based subjects but in an effort to please ‘All’ the new syllabuses appear to please no one; students that would not have engaged anyway still don’t, and those that may have found a more mathematical subject more stimulating look on nonplussed at a subject they now find rather dull.
As if to top it all off examinations reflecting this new era of discussion contain questions that are confusing at best, requiring a student to try and second guess what a question is getting at before answering it! It drives me spare!
The sooner the government realise that science is science, contains some difficult mathematics and that some students actually thrive on this kind of subject the sooner we will be out of this mess. When some universities now insist on a foundation year before accepting students to a physics course it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that standards have fallen!
I am very glad that there is now some movement at the ‘grass roots’ level on this front. I can only hope that this is the beginning of a movement that will get louder and louder until it is heard. As I said at the top I’m not convinced the government is ready to listen, which is wildly surprising since one of the things that is at stake is the future technical development of this country, but that certainly doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. This campaign is of course not just about the country it is also about the thousands of future scientists that could miss out on a very rewarding career due to a lack of a quality foundation in these wonderful subjects.
Rant over! Many thanks, Jamie