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Briefing Paper(1304)J u n e 2 0 1 3

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PARLIAMENTARY LINKS DAY, 25 JUNE 2013SCIENCE AND DIVERSITY

The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is ScotlandsNational Academy and is a product of the ScottishEnlightenment, having formed in 1783. It has amulti-disciplinary Fellowship of more than 1500spanning science & technology, arts, humanities,social science, business and public service. Thisbreadth of expertise makes the RSE unique amongst

the UKs academies and learned societies.The RSEs mission is theAdvancement of Learningand Useful Knowledge. We undertake major Inquirieson issues of national and global significance. Weprovide independent and expert advice across a widerange of topical issues, many of them science-related,and make a significantcontribution to the formulationof public policy in Scotland. We contribute to thedevelopment of educational and economic policies.We support primary and secondary education andengagement with the young a recent major

development of which has been the creation ofthe RSE Young Academy of Scotland1. We encourageresearch, entrepreneurial activity and internationalexchanges.With support from the ScottishGovernment, the RSE publishes Science Scotland2,which highlights the best of science and technologyfrom Scotland.

TappingAllOurTalentsThe majorityof women with qualifications in science,technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)

subjects do not work in STEM areas. This is in contrastto men. The consequence is a serious loss to theeconomy. This needs to be addressed.

In 2012 the RSE published a report, Tapping All OurTalents3 by an expert working group, chaired bydistinguished astrophysicist Professor Dame JocelynBell Burnell. The reporthighlights the loss of talentof qualified female scientists to both the public andprivate sector in Scotland representing a loss ofindividual opportunity and a cost to the Scottisheconomy. The report recommends creating a strategyto increase the proportion of women qualified in STEM

subjects, and to increase the number who rise tosenior positions in universities, research institutes,government, business and industry. The RSE haslooked to the Scottish Parliament to help address thisissue, along with action at a Westminster and EU level.

The Scottish Government across all Directorates andportfolios welcomed the work of the RSE on this issue.The Scottish Government agrees that a coordinated,collaborative and cooperative approach provides thebest chance of success and have formed the StrategicGroup for Women and Work to provide leadership andmaintain the momentumthe Tapping All Our Talentsreport has provided.

The reporthas acted as a catalyst for significant activityover the last year:

The First Minister announced in March 2012, newfunding for the Scottish Resource Centre for Womenin Science, Engineering and technology (SRC) andconfirmed continued funding for Close the Gap.

Scotlands first Womens Employment Summit washeld in September 2012

Funding of 250,000 for CareerWISE Scotland, acampaign to support more girls and women to takeup and retain jobs in STEM occupations, announcedin September 2012.

ScienceEducation inSchoolThe RSE is a member of, and provides support to, the

Learned Societies Group on Scottish Science Education4

,which represents a collaboration of the learned scientificsocieties andprofessional bodies with a focus on scienceeducation in Scotland. This is a collaborative groupwhich identifies, discusses and takes action on commonissues relating to the major reforms in the delivery ofscience education in Scottish schools. The membershipcomprises: Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute ofPhysics, Society of Biology, Association for ScienceEducation, British Computer Society, Royal Society ofEdinburgh, Scottish Schools Education Research Centreand the Engineering Policy Group in Scotland.

1 http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/794_The+RSE+Young+Academy+of+Scotland.html

2 http://www.sciencescotland.org/

3 TappingallourTalentsWomen inScienceTechnologyEngineering andMathematics (April 2012)http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/1027_Report.html

4 http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/1076_LearnedSocietiesGrouponScottishScienceEducation.html

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B r i e f i n g P a p e r 1 3 0 4

The Group has identified interdisciplinary learningin STEM education as a priority area. Whileinterdisciplinary learning has been envisaged asan important curriculum element for many years,little progress has been made in Scotland towardsits implementation. The Group is well placed to

take action in this area.The RSE Education Committee and the LearnedSocieties Group recently responded5 to the GeneralTeaching Council for Scotland proposals for changesto entry requirements to programmes of initial teachereducation in Scotland. The RSE and the LearnedSocieties Group are concerned at the notable absenceof a requirement for applicants to primary educationteacher programmes to have a science qualification.The responses also highlight the need to change theculture and strengthen requirements in relation to

mathematics education, which is the languageof science.

In collaboration with the Royal Society of Chemistryand the British Computer Society respectively, theRSE has produced teacher and learner materials thatexemplify Chemistry6 and Computing Science7 aspectsof Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland. While thefocus is on developments in Scottish school education,the materials are being used widely across the UK andalso internationally.

EnlighteningtheConstitutionalDebateScienceandHigherEducationThe RSE has recently responded8 to the Scottish ScienceAdvisory Council request for views on what are the keyquestions and issues for science and engineering inScotland in the independence debate.

The possible impacts of constitutional change uponScience and Higher Education is one of several topicsto be considered in a series of discussion events9 beingorganised this year by the RSE and the British Academywith the aim of enlightening the constitutional debate.A public discussion seminar10 at the University ofAberdeen on 17 October will examine the possibleaffects of Scottish independence upon the ability andease with which students are able to cross the border totake up Higher Education opportunities, and how thismightaffect the accessibility of Higher Education forthose in the UK and those in Scotland. The seminar willalso look at Research Funding in the sciences, and willask how UK Research Councils will decide to allocatefunding in the event of Scotland leaving the UK.

5 Responsesavailable from:http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/news/news.php?id=153

6 ChemistryMaterials: http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/1033_ChemistryPacks.html

7 ComputingMaterials: http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/1034_ComputingScience.html

8 http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/cms/files/advice-papers/2013/AP13_07.pdf

9 http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/1061_EnlighteningtheConstitutionalDebate.html

10 http://www.royalsoced.org.uk/1067_ScienceandHigherEducation.html

Additional InformationandReferences

Any enquiries about this Briefing Paper should be addressed to the RSE Consultations Officer,

Mr William Hardie (Email:evidenceadvice@royalsoced.org.uk)Responses are published on the RSE website (www.royalsoced.org.uk).

TheRoyalSociety ofEdinburgh (RSE) isScotlandsNationalAcademy.It isanindependentbodywitha multidisciplinary fellowshipofmenandwomenof international

standingwhichmakes ituniquelyplacedto offer informed, independentcomment onmatters ofnational interest.

TheRoyal Society of Edinburgh,ScotlandsNational Academy,is ScottishCharity No.SC000470