§ Lord Colwynasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many students applied to study A-level chemistry last year; and what they are doing to promote an increased take-up of chemistry as a GCSE and A-level subject. [HL1567]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)The total number of GCE A-level chemistry examination results for students in schools and colleges in 2003 was 32,319.
We are committed to improving science teaching and learning in schools to encourage more young people to study science subjects post-16 and making sure that all young people understand the relevance and importance of science to the world around them. We have a £51 million partnership with the Wellcome Trust to set up a national network of science learning centres to provide training for science teachers and science technicians. The science strand of the kev stage 3 strategy aims to improve the quality of learning and teaching in the classroom by investing in teachers' professional development, promoting approaches to science teaching and learning that engage and motivate students.
The QCA has reviewed the programme of study for science at key stage 4 to ensure we are providing a core of science learning that is relevant to all students. A new GCSE, Science in the 21st Century, is currently being piloted. In 2002, we introduced a GCSE in applied science.