Since March 2020 we have been “following the science”. We have seen the importance of a strong scientific sector in the UK, not just in academia but also in applied science: medics, nurses, biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, lab technicians, paramedics, health care assistants and, most recently, vaccine development, manufacturing and delivery capabilities. We have also seen that the scientific sector is an asset in the UK economy.
Looking ahead 10-15 years, it is the primary school children of today who will be the scientists of the future. In my experience working as a specialist tutor in state primary schools, but with a background in science (I’m a vet by training), the children spend more time rote learning grammatical terms for the “Spelling punctuation and grammar” SAT than on science. This pandemic is a chance for primary education policy to change to reflect the importance of creating Britain’s future scientists.
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