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

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.

It depends how well mathematics is taught and whether or not it is made interesting or looked on as a chore, a subject that is necessary but boring.

I agree that everyone should build on their strengths.

Utter rubbish.
All three of my DDs passed their Bac S, meaning majoring in Physics and Maths. One went on to be a translator and then on to teaching, second a high flyer in the world of commerce and third, although hampered by dyslexia, a physiotherapist.

My two eldest GDDs are doing the same.

In those days in France there was no choice, you couldn’t drop maths, physics, languages, history geography, sciences, sport etc. However, these days, I believe, a choice has to be made maths and physics which has caused a lot of problems for thé students

If it’s true then it’s because they cannot see the relevance in real life, there are plenty of female physicists, not to mention accountants and other maths related careers, just like airline pilots not everyone aspires to do that

I dont know if she is deluded but it sounds as if she hasnt given a great deal of critical thought to the influences that play a part on the learning of both girls and boys. Research shows that even in the womb knowing the sex of the baby influences how parents 'talk' to the baby pre birth.
I spend a lot of time looking at the issue of boys and reading, many of the solutions offered by education to that issue involve sourcing car books, superhero books etc. Very early on a talented headteacher told me he thought that was a mistaken approach as it still sends the message that reading as of itself is somehow not for boys. We cant underestimate the influence socialisation has on the ambitions of girls. And I am not at all surprised that the results are different in single sex schools.

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.

Callistemon
I know that if I’d had Bobby Seagull as my maths teacher I would have done better ( my results couldn’t have been worse ?)

?
I'm off to buy his book!!

(For my DGC!)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

what a load of crap

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.

volver

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

Well said Dame Julia Higgins.

JaneJudge

what a load of crap

Not sure what you mean.

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.

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?

growstuff

JaneJudge

what a load of crap

Not sure what you mean.

maths and physics being too hard for females!

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

Sorry, Baroness Greenfield.

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.

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?

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.

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.