Girls and Physics. It's too hard for them. ?

Whoever is chosen, it needs to be somebody who doesn't rely on anecdotes and ideology, but is prepared to understand why girls aren't opting for science and maths rather than just accepting the "status quo". For goodness sake, Birbalsingh has been appointed to change things, not just shrug her shoulders and come up with ridiculous claims about physics being too hard.

?

But he's a man so it's obvious that he has a mathematical brain.

?

Chemists need maths too ?

?
I only met her husband.
(Ex-husband)
He's a chemist anyway.
And male so irrelevant.

I've met Greenfield too. Honestly, let's stick with Bell Burnell

Not Physicky but a scientist nonetheless.

She must have passed Maths 'O' level though!

Not just science - Mathematics is essential for so many career choices.

Not Susan Greenfield, she's a neuroscientist. Not physics-y enough.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell, that's who we want. She was my role model, all those years ago. I met her once, at a meeting about the "leaky pipeline" for women in science. I turned into a gibbering wreck of a fan girl but managed to tell her how much I admired her.

Callistemon21

Professor Susan Greenfield, anyone?
Would she be a better advocate?

Sorry, Baroness Greenfield.

Does she have lots of Tory friends? Does she say what they like to hear?

JaneJudge

growstuff

JaneJudge

what a load of crap

Not sure what you mean.

maths and physics being too hard for females!

Ah! I agree. It's total BS.

PS. Sorry to ask but I wasn't sure what you were referring to.

Professor Susan Greenfield, anyone?
Would she be a better advocate?

Sorry, Baroness Greenfield.

growstuff

JaneJudge

what a load of crap

Not sure what you mean.

maths and physics being too hard for females!

foxie48

Growstuff a bit like comparing apples and pairs. Per pupil funding for Birbalsingh's school is £5.5K +PP, NLC has fees of £22K per annum and won't have 40% eligible for free school meals or 60% who speak English as a second language. I totally agree though that having high expectations of children is key to their success but I think the girls at NLC have more advantages than just 4x the money going in to support their education.

Why should that affect how many girls do STEM subjects?

Petera

Joseanne

Baggs

Thanks for the contextuakl additions as well, joseanne. Context always matters.

Exactly, Baggs. I wasn't a clever Headmistress, far from it, but I won't have posters making fun of educationalists who obviously have their pupils' wellbeing at heart. That is what is important.

My headteacher son-in-law describes her as an 'educational terrorist'. She's not funny at all.

The only place I've heard her personally was on Any Questions where she spoke directly from assumption and prejudice and not fact.

I've heard her speak in person - and she's just the same.

JaneJudge

what a load of crap

Not sure what you mean.

volver

The view of the (female) President of the Institute of Physics, in 2018.

Well said Dame Julia Higgins.

I agree with you Glorianny.

This is a link to a properly researched IFS report on girls and science:

ifs.org.uk/publications/13276

The conclusion is that science and maths aren't too hard for girls, but they lack confidence to be the trailblazers as females in a man's world - that needs addressing.

The girls' schools which have the North London Collegiate ethos at their core teach that girls can do anything.

what a load of crap

Petera

varian When I left school in 1962 Higher English was a compulsory subject for all undergraduates - even those studying maths, science, medicine or engineering. Arts students also needed to have studied maths and/or science.

Not only Higher English, I would not have been allowed to take my purely science degree without an O grade in a Modern Foreign Language.

It was essential to have at least 'O' level in English Language and Mathematics before you could go into the 6th form, go to university or apply for a job in Local Government, a bank or the Civil Service.

The view of the (female) President of the Institute of Physics, in 2018.

I think my big problem with her is that she is just accepting the prevailing culture for girls in her school when her job should be to make every effort to change it. I have no doubt that many girls especially today will be influenced by the cult of celebrities and will copy their behaviour. Of course she shouldn't be forcing girls to take physics at A level, but she should be introducing them to women who are successful in that area and developing support strategies, not accepting stereotypes and sexist opinions and even spreading them.

varian When I left school in 1962 Higher English was a compulsory subject for all undergraduates - even those studying maths, science, medicine or engineering. Arts students also needed to have studied maths and/or science.

Not only Higher English, I would not have been allowed to take my purely science degree without an O grade in a Modern Foreign Language.

Joseanne

Baggs

Thanks for the contextuakl additions as well, joseanne. Context always matters.

Exactly, Baggs. I wasn't a clever Headmistress, far from it, but I won't have posters making fun of educationalists who obviously have their pupils' wellbeing at heart. That is what is important.

My headteacher son-in-law describes her as an 'educational terrorist'. She's not funny at all.

The only place I've heard her personally was on Any Questions where she spoke directly from assumption and prejudice and not fact.

I suspect Ms Birbalsingh, who moved to England at the age of 15 and subsequently studied French and Philosophy, is a victim of the English A level system which often funnels students into Arts or Science.

"The Two Cultures" is the first part of an influential 1959 Reith Lecture by British scientist and novelist C. P. Snow which were published in book form as The Two Cultures and the Scientific Revolution the same year. Its thesis was that science and the humanities which represented "the intellectual life of the whole of western society" had become split into "two cultures" and that this division was a major handicap to both in solving the world's problems. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Cultures

What a pity she did not go to school in Scotland. When I left school in 1962 Higher English was a compulsory subject for all undergraduates - even those studying maths, science, medicine or engineering. Arts students also needed to have studied maths and/or science.

Two of my grandchildren live in a European country and are preparing for the International Baccalaureat and also have to study a wide range of subjects.

What a pity that a poorly educated person like Ms Barbalsingh can end up as "education guru" for the Conservatives.