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"For better career options and higher salaries, take A Level physics, not media studies" warns Institute

August 18, 2004

As this year's A Level results are announced, the Institute of Physics warns that thousands of A Level students are choosing subjects that won't provide them with good job prospects in later life, because of poor careers advice in schools.

Dr Julia King, chief executive of the Institute of Physics said: "Students who take physics at A Level enjoy higher salaries in later life and have a much wider variety of career options open to them - yet physics is in decline and other subjects, such as media studies and art, are increasingly popular despite the poor career prospects they offer. It's a crazy situation."

Dr King continued: "One of the reasons so many students are making potentially damaging decisions is down to narrow careers advice in schools. Students don't realise that if you study physics you don't automatically have to become a research scientist - but you do become much more attractive to a huge range of businesses, for example the financial services sector.   It is essential that careers education in schools actually helps students to balance their current interests against their future employment prospects. Careers advisors need the right training and accurate and up to date information about employment and career prospects - the Institute of Physics urges the Government to place more emphasis on this critical area."

A good supply of physicists is vital to the UK because physics is at the heart of science and society. It underpins engineering and many other scientific disciplines, and is at work in hospitals around the world saving lives every day.

Key facts:

* Physics-based industry employs over 1.79 million people in the UK
* Physics-based industry contributes over £130bn in export value to the UK economy.
* Physics combined with other science A Levels comes out top in a recent report which analyses the future earnings of students who take various A level combinations. The report, by Professor Geraint Johnes from the University of Lancaster Management School, found that the highest salaries are enjoyed by those who took physics, chemistry and biology together at A level. The lowest rate of return comes from studying English, History and French.

Why don't students study A Level Physics?

* Physics is perceived to be irrelevant to our every-day lives: The Institute believes that the schools curriculum should use real-life examples and case studies to make the subject relevant and exciting. We welcome changes to the KS4 Programme of Study and we are trying to work with Awarding Bodies to ensure that the new Science GCSEs that will be introduced in 2006 include motivating and contemporary physics content. The Advancing Physics A Level developed by the Institute of Physics makes extensive use of modern physics and contemporary contexts.

* Careers advice in schools is very poor: there is evidence to show that careers teachers and advisors do not have a good understanding of the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) sector and so do not give students good advice. The Institute is working with the Science Council to develop a Science Careers website in addition to the careers resources that it already produces.

* Shortage of specialist physics teachers: there are insufficient teachers in schools who are passionate about physics, consequently they do not inspire their students. The Institute has invested £750, 000 to support non-specialists who teach physics at KS3. It has also set up a series of support networks across the whole of the UK run by physics teachers.

* Practical Work. In the past practical work has been a motivating factor for students, however for a number of reasons the quantity and quality of practical work in schools has diminished. The Institute is working with the Nuffield Foundation to produce a Practical Physics website that will help teachers to incorporate more effective practical work into their lessons.

Institute of Physics