The TV physicist said a shift back to individual science GCSEs in biology, physics and chemistry, rather than a combined exam would help young people make decisions about big issues such as climate change
Change of approach: Professor Cox said a return to studying individual sciences would create a more scientifically literate population
Professor Cox told the Times Educational Supplement: “I think there’s some evidence that students do better at science when they do all the subjects separately. There are two things here: one is we want to produce the scientists and engineers of tomorrow, so we need to make sure students are inspired and have the right skills to go on and do A-levels and go on to universities, or go and do an apprenticeship.
“But there’s also a desire to make a generally scientifically literate population. And that’s really important because the big policy decisions that we face are almost entirely, or can be entirely, informed by evidence.
“We’re asking questions about health policy, or education policy, or climate change or energy policy or whatever - the idea that you understand what evidence is, how you acquire it and how you should weight it and deploy it is very important.
“I think that’s the most important thing about a scientific education. That’s what it’s about really.”
Shaun Reason, chief executive of the Association for Science Education said it is important for more teenagers to study science in depth so they are not “taken in” by “pseudo-science.”
