Brian Cox: bring back individual GCSEs in science

The TV physicist said a shift back to individual science GCSEs in biology, physics and chemistry, rather than a combined exam would help young people make decisions about big issues such as climate change 
Change of approach: Professor Cox said a return to studying individual sciences would create a more scientifically literate population
BBC One/Emilie Sandie
Anna Davis @_annadavis20 October 2015

Professor Brian Cox has called for teenagers to study separate sciences so they understand how to use evidence to make decisions about big issues such as climate change.

Professor Cox said a shift back to individual science GCSEs in biology, physics and chemistry, rather than a combined exam, would help create a more scientifically literate population.

As well as helping to create the scientists and engineers of the future, separate science lessons would teach people how to weigh up evidence about health, education and energy policy as well as climate change, he said.

It comes after Professor Cox said politicians need to understand far more about science and how to use data and evidence - especially those in science-based areas such as health or the environment.

He called for Oxford university to rewrite the syllabus of its politics, philosophy and economics (PPE) degree - taken by many politicians - to include science.

He believes the course, whose graduates include David Cameron and Ed Miliband, risks failing to give students the intellectual skills to make decisions in a world increasingly driven by science and data rather than ancient Greek philosophy.

The number of teenagers taking separate science GCSEs is dropping. This summer fewer than 140,000 teenagers sat exams in separate sciences, while nearly 400,000 candidates sat combined science GCSEs.

Professor Cox told the Times Educational Supplement: “I think there’s some evidence that students do better at science when they do all the subjects separately. There are two things here: one is we want to produce the scientists and engineers of tomorrow, so we need to make sure students are inspired and have the right skills to go on and do A-levels and go on to universities, or go and do an apprenticeship.

“But there’s also a desire to make a generally scientifically literate population. And that’s really important because the big policy decisions that we face are almost entirely, or can be entirely, informed by evidence.

“We’re asking questions about health policy, or education policy, or climate change or energy policy or whatever - the idea that you understand what evidence is, how you acquire it and how you should weight it and deploy it is very important.

“I think that’s the most important thing about a scientific education. That’s what it’s about really.”

Shaun Reason, chief executive of the Association for Science Education said it is important for more teenagers to study science in depth so they are not “taken in” by “pseudo-science.”

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