A-Level students are increasingly taking up STEM subjects, and the girls are raising their game.
It is impressive that the number of students taking STEM subjects increased this year ...
Computing 23.9%, Chemistry 3.4%, Physics 3.4%, Biology 3.1% and Mathematics 2.5%
Guardian Graphic | Source: Joint Council for Qualifications. Selected STEM subjects. Base: all UK A-level students
Also, the Institute of Physics reported that entries to physics A-level rose again this year, despite an overall decline in the number of students taking A-levels, notes the Institute of Physics. The institute pointed to a 0.3 percentage point rise - I think that’s almost a quantum (not) - year-on-year in the proportion of physics entries, to 4.7% of total A-levels taken. Charles Tracy, the IOP’s head of education, said:
We at the IOP have been working hard on increasing participation by girls. With support from the Department for Education (DfE), we have been running projects in schools, where we work with the whole school, its science teachers and groups of girls. Whilst there is still work to do, an increase of 8.4% in the number of girls studying physics in England indicates genuine improvements in removing barriers. Female students made up 22.2% of physics A-level entrants - up from 21.5% in 2017, and to the highest proportion since 2009. Bucking expectations of the revised curriculum, girls slightly outperformed boys, with 30% achieving an A* or A grade compared to 29.5% of of boys. On top of that, 71.5% of females achieved a C or above compared to 69.6% of males.
