Manufacturers back £30m drive for science education

‘Project Enthuse’ aims to reverse the trend of young people turning away from science. It responds to an urgent need for more specialist science teachers and to provide continuous professional development for science teachers. Under the new scheme, science teachers across the UK will have access to state-of-the-art training facilities at the National Science Learning Centre in York. This world-class project will help keep teachers up to date with the latest technological innovations and give access to ideas for encouraging children to engage with science, and pursue careers in science and technology. Richard Hamer, BAE’s education partnership director at BAE Systems said the continuing decline in the number of science, engineering and technology graduates was a real threat to the future competitiveness of the UK's industrial sector. Sir William Castell (pictured), chairman of Project Enthuse supporter Wellcome Trust, said the initiative was a remarkable partnership with the single and united purpose of upgrading the content of science teaching in primary and secondary schools. Project Enthuse will receive £10 million from the government over the next five years, as well as £10 million from the Wellcome Trust and a further £10 million from its industrial partners, which include BAE Systems, BP, Vodafone, Rolls-Royce, GlaxoSmithKline, General Electric, AstraZeneca and the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust. Every maintained school in the UK can apply for funding, which provides generous bursaries to cover not only fees, travel and accommodation for individual teachers but also the cost to schools of providing teaching cover, and extra funds to help teachers share what they learn with colleagues.