The government’s recently published report on its Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) programme(1) has elicited criticism about its lack of focus on mathematics.

It looks unlikely to alleviate widespread dismay at the declining numbers of people studying science at A-level and beyond.

New structure

The STEM programme is a cross-cutting initiative from the DfES (Department for Education and Skills) and the DTI (Department for Trade and Industry), designed to secure a supply of scientists, engineers, technologists and mathematicians for the country, as set out in the government’s Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004–2014. The report lists a number of actions for the coming months to address the problem, focusing initially on the creation of a new governance structure for STEM. This will feature a ministerial steering group and a high-level strategy group; the latter’s role will be to coordinate STEM initiatives across all stages of education and report to ministers.

Members of the strategy group will include the DfES, the DTI, the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Association for Science Education, the Wellcome Trust and business representatives; they will also run their own networks to bring in the views of others, such as the newly formed Science Community Partnership Supporting Education (SCORE).(2) Once the structures are in place, focus and funding will be directed towards the National and Regional Science Learning Centres, the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, and national STEM schemes for schools.

Underestimating maths

However, some are concerned at not being invited to the party. ‘The government is in danger of undermining its own efforts to boost the science base in the UK,’ according to the Council for the Mathematical Sciences (CMS). The CMS represents the Institute of Mathematics, the London Mathematical Society and the Royal Statistical Society to government and other public bodies. Its chair, Sir David Wallace, warned that by underestimating the contribution made by mathematical sciences, the government’s STEM strategy could fail.

He explained: ‘Too often in the report the mathematical sciences are considered separately from the other sciences when in fact they are the core of most science, technology and engineering.’ He called for the government to include representatives from the mathematics community at the heart of its STEM governance structures and as equal stakeholders to the project.

Sir David’s views were shared by Professor Peter Main, Director of Science and Education at the Institute of Physics: ‘It is certainly true that an appreciation of mathematics is essential for science and engineering and for physics in particular,’ he told Science & Public Affairs. ‘One of the most common concerns of physics departments is that the incoming students are not as well prepared in mathematics as they would like them to be.’
 
Reference

1.  STEM programme report (pdf)
2.  SCORE comprises the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Biology, the Biosciences Federation, the Science Council, the Association for Science Education and the Royal Society.

Vanessa Spedding is the Shorts Editor