IET response to the House of Lords Education for 11-16 Year Olds Committee’s report: ‘Requires Improvement: Urgent change for 11-16 Education’
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is pleased see the release of the House of Lords Education for 11-16 Year Olds Committee’s report: Requires Improvement: Urgent change for 11-16 Education.
We agree with the report’s conclusion that the curriculum is full and overburdening teachers, and with the recommendation that a revision of the current curriculum is urgently needed. This was one of the recommendations of our Engineering Kids’ Futures report.
We also agree with the recommendation regarding the full-scale review of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). This should be conducted to ensure subjects such as Design and Technology (D&T) are included to ensure students are given the opportunity to study the full range of the STEM curriculum.
The report also concluded that the current education system does not sufficiently prepare students with the skills they will need in the future, which supports the findings of the IET International Green Skills Survey 2023, which found that 63% of engineering employers believe that the education system does not prepare graduates well for industry. With rapidly changing technology, employers are increasingly looking for an agile and adaptive workforce to remain innovative and competitive.
David Lakin Head of Education, Safeguarding and Education policy at the IET:
“It is great to see design and technology given the prominence it deserves; we have long been a champion of the subject, and its clear linkages into engineering. We have been working hard with the Design and Technology Association to ensure the subject is considered a key discipline with the STEM field.
“Today’s report also signifies that real changes are needed in the curriculum, which is something we have been working hard to promote in our own work through our Engineering Kids’ Futures report, which also recommends both a curriculum review and review of the EBacc. Without this change we will see the decline of design and technology as a subject. We believe every student deserves to have the opportunity to study a full and balanced curriculum allowing them to explore different career paths”.
View the House of Lords Education for 11-16 Year Olds Committee’s report.
Notes to Editors
About the IET
- We inspire, inform and influence the global engineering community to engineer a better world.
- We are a diverse home for engineering and technology intelligence throughout the world. This breadth and depth means we are uniquely placed to help the sector progress society.
- We want to build the profile of engineering and technology to change outdated perceptions and tackle the skills gap. This includes encouraging more women to become engineers and growing the number of engineering apprentices.
- Interview opportunities are available with our spokespeople from a range of engineering and technology disciplines including cyber-security, energy, engineering skills, innovation, manufacturing, technology, transport and diversity in engineering.
- For more information, visit theiet.org
- Follow the IET on Twitter.
IET Media enquiries
Rebecca Gillick
External Communications Manager
Email: rgillick@theiet.org
