ATL

Lack of female engineering students 'worrying'

13 July 2010

Female students are still drawn to traditionally feminine subjects such as nursing and education, it has been revealed.

The number of women taking on maths and science-related subjects has remained relatively static for the last decade, despite a rise in the number of people attending university.

Speaking to the Guardian, Peter Hicks, who sits on the Education and Skills Panel of the Institute of Engineering Technology, said we ought to be worried that figures are not improving.

"In my 40 years of teaching electrical engineering at Manchester University, women never made up more than five per cent of my classes. The UK desperately needs engineers – we can't afford to lose what is effectively half of its talent," he commented.

Mr Hicks suggested that many parents and schools careers advisors have a distorted idea of what these subjects involve and the opportunities they offer.

Speaking earlier this week, Libby Steele, Head of Education at the Royal Society, said it is important not to switch children off subjects like maths and science at primary school level as it is difficult to get them interested again at a later stage.