Discussions

One way NOT to keep STEM based subjects up to date is to remove subjects from KS3 & 4 that are currently required under the NC.

What sense or purpose would it be to say remove D&T from the KS3 curriculum? Once it is off the foundation listing, then where is the incentive to move the subject forward?

What will happen is a change to make the subject cheaper and interesting to students, a bit like a Drama & Media studies is. Not to move a subject technologically forward, with hard stuff to learn and do that will enable the next generation of designers, engineers & technicians to cope in an ever changing world.

Take a look at what Science has become. Compare the science of today, science for the masses, with science of the 60s, 70s & 80s. Science that prepared students for A levels and further.

Pandering to the masses has led to a proliferation of subjects that can not benefit the country as a whole.

We haven't got the film industry that the US has, the record business is not a as dominant as it was, plus new technologies will wipe out traditional music companies.

See what has happened to the old fashioned book shop in the face of Amazon.

We must go back to what we did best, design & engineer solutions. For this to happen we need to have the Germanic approach to science & engineering, where Herr Engineer is a revered person, no that bloke who fixes photocopies!

As Ruth indicates there is a clear understanding that we need to educate able students to become technicians in many industries and services. However it is in schools that the route to becoming technologically capable starts. Sadly this message has not got through to senior management teams (SMT) in many schools. Recently I was discussing engineering diplomas with the SMT of an Engineering school. During the discussion I was told that the school was doing level 1 BTEC Engineering so I asked what level 2 course were offered for more able pupils? The answer was ‘ - - nothing special they look after themselves if they want to go into engineering’. Mark is right it would be beneficial to rethink the content of some D&T courses but a bigger and more important challenge is to educate head teachers, SMT’s, teachers, school governors and parents that starting down technological pathway in school can lead to a rewarding career.

What about a new GCSE or similar, that encompasses these skills at level 2.

OCR National ICT has a range of modules, including CAD & CAM, take this and blend it with Systems & Control, add a bit of RMT and bingo

Whoops - meant 'Royal Academy of Engineering' ... but also Mark you may be heartened to know that professional registered engineering and ICT technicians (EngTech and ICTTech) need to demonstrate competence in five key dimensions - one of which is "contribute to the design, development .... of products, processes, systems or services"; another is (for ICT but similar for engineering) "Use ICT knowledge and understanding when applying technical and practical skills". so e.g. CAD/CAM experience in D&T could lead in product design, engineering or ICT practitioner directions ... electronics, systems & control in D&T could lead in science or engineering or ICT directions ... etc.

Mark - action is already underway. As John indicates, there is a growing concensus amongst politicians and policy makers that a rebalanced economy will require far more people with technician skills. As an outcome of this 'skills agenda', the Technician Council will get fully underway at the end of this month. The Council is a group of senior figures from employers, the Engineering Council, the Science Council and the NHS and is hosted by the Royal Academy of Engineers and chaired by Steve Holliday (CEO, National Grid). The new Council will support the government's committment to raise the profile of and promote the professional status of technicians in science, ICT, engineering and health.

Professional (registered) Technicians might typically be Advanced Apprentices (competent at QCF level 3 or above) - importantly, proven competence is required. Bright, practical people with commitment to continuing learning and ethically sound.

How long will this take? There are both economic and social drivers to this agenda. Urgency is integral to.

So what are we going to do about it?

Who out there has the clout to make things happen?

More importantly how long will the chnages take to be available?

Mark is right - the fastest growing shortages are among skilled technicians with STEM qualifications. If the economy is going to be rebalanced towards the manufacturing and high-tech areas, it can't be done withot skilled technicians and operators. It is definitely not all about graduates.

Having just been to the Chelmsford Engineering Society’s very good competition today, it was mentioned by a local Essex Engineering firm, who are very big in the control aspects of oil & gas rigs, that they really need apprentices who can use their hands to make things.

This is an echo from a day out last year, when a very high tech company in Basildon, who make parts for a US aircraft company, also said the same thing.

Both companies embrace CAD & CAM, but also need technicians and factory workers, who can do more than stick nuts on bolts.

The STEM agenda needs to broaden to cater for all aspects of our manufacturing base.

We in education need to be a part of this. We need courses that span a wide range of industry needs and student needs.

You are not wrong Mark. But it is not just the examination boards. It is the need for schools to maintain/improve their positions in league tables that is such a block. In my experience this is preventing some D&T departments expanding their GCSE portfolio to include S&C or electronics as this si being viewed as 'risky' ie A* - C passes might go dopwn during the first year of introduction.

Your point about 555 is interesting. I wish I could say (an be critical of schools) that 'still' use the ubiquitous chip. Sadly this is not the case. I well remember the day in the early 1990's where we moved the use of this down from year 10 to year a 8 scheme of work. Not only do I not find in the vast majority of schools replacement micro prosessors let alone PICs being used, I dont see 555s either! As others have mentioned in this thread though, its not jsut about what chip, its about design and the application to which they are applied. What we are equally not good at doing, is supporting teachers with the pedagogy to be able to embed the use of the technology in products that the pupils really do design and make not simply FPTs or at best, 'briefs' where most decisions have already been made for them. Its about appropriate challenges yes. The starting points on the D&T Association's site http://www.ectcurriculum.org/index.php/starting-p
oints(Opens a new browser window) really help provide guidance in this.

The biggest hindrance to moving our subject (D&T) is the exam boards.

The exam boards as a whole can’t even agree to meet and discus the use of CAD & CAM in exams. Or to see how CAD & CAM can be made more relevant to today’s D&T lessons.

It is just an old boys club that wants to preserve the status quo.

Next year the NE555 (a timer IC) will be 40 years old and it is still a main requirement in some courses that students know the minutia of how it works and the pin numbers, why?

Modern processes in engineering & industry have outpaced D&T by a long chalk.

No one would even dream of making a windscreen wiper delay for a car. It is a suggested project in some exam boards. Why, even a basic Fiesta comes with one today.

What my grandfather made in the 60s was impossible to buy for the average Joe Bloggs, now who would even contemplate looking inside an MP3 player let alone make one?

Move forwards, move onwards, if we don’t our competitors surely will.