New report reveals Scotland bottom of the class on key STEM subjects

19 May 2017

New report reveals Scotland bottom of the class on key STEM subjects

A new report from Scottish Labour has revealed the scale of the problems in science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) subjects in Scotland. The report can be read here.

Labour's report reveals:

·        STEM teachers have been cut at a rate of one every four days under the SNP.
·        Laboratory assistants are down by 43 per cent since 2010. Almost one-in-five schools say they don’t have any extra laboratory support.
·        Access to science clubs is the lowest in the UK.
·        More than 20 per cent of students never or hardly ever spend time in labs doing practical experiments.
·        Scottish pupils have the least enthusiasm for STEM in the UK

Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale revealed the findings of the report ahead of a visit to the Glasgow Science Centre today.

Kezia Dugdale will say:

"We need to give our young people the skills they need today to compete for the jobs of tomorrow.

"The pace of technological advancements will radically change our jobs market.

"We need to be placed to take advantage of these changes.

"STEM subjects are Scotland’s pathway to a high wage economy through the high skilled jobs of the future. But under the SNP, the focus on STEM has stalled. We trail the other parts of the UK in so many areas.

"We need to use this opportunity to change course and invest in education. Waiting much longer will set our country back years."