Institution responds to proposals for cross-party review on school exams and the curriculum

The Institution's Peter Finegold says now is the moment to take stock and evaluate exactly what we need from our education sector.

Peter Finegold, Head of Education at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said in response to calls by Labour's Tristram Hunt for a cross-party review on school exams and the curriculum:

“This motion is a welcome proposal. As the new Government beds in, now is the moment to take stock and evaluate exactly what we need from our education sector, and specifically Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education.

“We need political consensus and to move away from the short-term policy and structural changes to our education system subject driven by the electoral cycle and political meddling.

“STEM education is the linchpin to developing a high-skills economy and building the UK’s economic growth. But there are still not enough people choosing to study engineering. We need to consider ideas like scrapping early specialisation, which channels young people down arts- or science-dominated routes at a very early age and ask questions like why do we spend so much time teaching about the natural world yet devote so little to the manufactured world – even though most students experience far more of the latter?

“This is not about rushing in with new policies. The UK education system does need to change but these changes need to be based on evidence, analysis and consultation with teachers and the wider education community.”