New Strategy to Tackle the Math and Science Shortage
Yvonne Baker expresses her gratitude to her teacher, who encouraged her to go into engineering. According to Baker, her teacher inspired her at a time when it was unheard for girls to consider engineering. She was glad that she made her choice; as a chartered chemical engineer, she now focuses on persuading people to choose science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM).
Baker said that teachers can change things and that they are a crucial part of solving the engineering skills shortage and encouraging more girls. She is currently heading the STEM Learning, which provides education and career support.
Concerned over the lack of math and physics teachers, the government is currently focusing on finding more and hanging on to them with a new recruitment and retention strategy started this year. It supports teachers and offers flexible work. With some bonuses of up to £10,000, the government hopes to encourage math teachers to remain after training, in total £406m is invested precisely on math, digital, and technical education.
According to Helen Staton, who teaches biology and science in Southampton, Hampshire, she would not leave if she got paid. She joined via Teach First, a charity which focuses on recruiting for shortage subjects in 2016. Staton says that for her, it is about teaching what science is because kids do not know the fantastic careers available.
However, there are not enough teachers like Staton. Half of math and physics teachers stay on in-state schools for more than five years, which is worse than the overall retention rate of sixty percent according to a 2018 report from the Education Policy Institute shows. Presently, there are more pupils, 17 per teacher up from 15.5 in 2010. In 2025, a population increase means that there will be 15 percent more pupils in secondary schools than in 2018.