Disadvantaged parents rule out careers in science, technology, engineering and maths for their children because they think those jobs are “already stitched up”, according to a leading education charity.
More than half of parents (51%) from a lower socioeconomic background, who took part in a survey by Teach First, said they believed their children were unlikely to go on to a career in Stem.
Asked about the barriers their children faced, parents referred to a lack of confidence, few role models in the Stem field and a general feeling that their children “don’t see it as subject for somebody like them”.
Russell Hobby, the chief executive of Teach First, which aims to address educational disadvantage in England and Wales, said: “I think people look at some of these jobs, and look at who gets them and who doesn’t, and they start to rule out whether those are meant for them and people like them.
“So they already think those jobs are off the table. I can’t believe that they don’t think they’re good jobs – it’s more they think they’re already stitched up.”
As well as talking to 750 parents, Teach First surveyed more than 1,000 children aged 11 to 16 and found only two-fifths (41.8%) of those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds said they would consider a Stem career.
One of the main issues the survey raised was the widespread shortage of specialist teachers in Stem subjects across England. Nearly nine in 10 parents (88%) said their children’s schools needed more high-quality maths and science teachers.
Last year, Vic Goddard, the executive principal of Passmores academy in Essex, said trying to recruit a maths, science, computer science or DT (design and technology) teacher was like “advertising for a unicorn”.
According to Teach First, the recruitment problem is particularly acute in disadvantaged areas. “Young people, particularly those from communities facing poverty, are being locked out of Stem careers due to a lack of science and maths teachers,” said Hobby.
“We know that those schools who serve disadvantaged communities struggle to fill all of their vacancies, and particularly with the shortage subjects that are in high demand, like maths and physics. It’s easier for schools in more affluent areas to fill those roles.”
The charity believes recruiting and retaining high-quality Stem teachers for the schools facing the biggest challenges is vital to boost the Stem workforce. “A nationwide skills shortage in science and maths will have dire consequences for our economic growth and stop us tackling urgent problems such as climate change,” said Hobby.
Teach First’s core role is to train high-quality teachers and place them in schools in some of the poorest areas of the country to give children with the fewest opportunities access to a great education.
Last year there was a threefold increase in Teach First’s recruitment of physics teachers, but “our job is not done yet”, said Hobby, who is calling for a pay increase for trainee teachers in shortage subjects such as maths and science, particularly in low-income areas.
“I think we need to do a lot more work to get the resources where they’re needed, but also to show people that anyone from any community can aspire to what are quite attractive careers. We want these jobs to be open to everybody.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said bursaries and scholarships of up to £30,000 are offered for chemistry, computing, mathematics and physics teachers, alongside £3,000 tax-free for those in disadvantaged schools in the first five years of their career, doubling to £6,000 tax free over the next two years.
They added: “We are boosting the teaching of Stem subjects in schools across England through our network of maths hubs, the rollout of T Levels, the ‘stimulating physics network’ and our continued work with employers to offer more apprenticeship opportunities.”
