For UK STEM educators, policy watchers, and school leaders
As we move into the second week of March 2025, the education sector continues to see debates on curriculum reforms, assessment pressures, and the challenges of ensuring quality STEM education across the UK. This week’s education news covers key issues, including a widening gender gap in maths, evolving funding landscapes, the use of manipulatives in STEM teaching, and growing concerns about SEND provisions.
Below is a summary of the latest education stories from multiple sources, tailored for STEM educators in the UK.
1. The Gender Gap in Maths is Growing Again
📌 Source: TES
The latest Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) results have revealed that the gender gap in mathematics performance is at its widest in years. Year 9 boys in the UK significantly outperformed girls, with a 26-point gap—the largest among participating countries. The Department for Education has called for urgent research into the issue to identify why girls' performance in maths appears to be slipping.
This report reignites concerns about gender representation in STEM fields, particularly regarding the pipeline to higher education and careers in engineering, technology, and physics.
🧐 Reflection for STEM teachers:
- How can we engage more girls in mathematics and boost their confidence in STEM subjects?
- Could changes in teaching strategies, assessments, or role models improve gender parity in maths education?
2. SEND Support Struggles Continue
📌 Source: Schools Week
New reports highlight that more children are entering school with poor speech and language skills, with teachers warning that this makes their jobs significantly harder. Furthermore, an investigation has found that Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) are often being drawn up without proper input from health and social care services, leaving schools to ‘pick up the pieces.’
Additionally, some councils are reportedly paying fines for failing to meet SEND requirements rather than providing the necessary support, raising ethical and financial concerns about SEND provision in the UK.
🧐 Reflection for educators:
- How can mainstream schools better support students with SEND, particularly in STEM subjects?
- Are there innovative classroom strategies that could help address early speech and language delays?
Read more: Schools Week
3. The Role of Manipulatives in STEM Learning
📌 Source: Education Endowment Foundation
A new blog from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) explores the power of using manipulatives—physical objects that aid mathematical understanding—to improve learning outcomes in STEM subjects. The article argues that hands-on tools can be instrumental in breaking down complex mathematical concepts and fostering problem-solving skills.
The discussion aligns with the ongoing debate about how practical learning should be incorporated into mainstream STEM curricula, especially in the digital era.
Read more: EEF Blog
🧐 Reflection for STEM educators:
- How effectively are manipulatives used in your classroom?
- Could digital tools complement hands-on learning approaches in STEM subjects?
4. Teacher Workloads & Administrative Burdens Affecting STEM Teaching
📌 Source: Schools Week
A new study finds that excessive administrative duties are significantly affecting teaching quality, with STEM teachers among those hardest hit. Time spent on paperwork, data entry, and lesson planning outside of instructional hours has reached unsustainable levels for many teachers.
This issue has knock-on effects on lesson creativity and innovation in STEM subjects, as teachers struggle to find time for hands-on experiments, interdisciplinary projects, and enrichment activities.
🧐 Reflection for teachers:
- What strategies can schools implement to reduce non-teaching workloads?
- How can collaboration between departments improve efficiency and reduce administrative burdens?
5. The Future of Functional Skills & Apprenticeship Reform
📌 Source: FE Week
The Department for Education (DfE) has hinted at upcoming changes in functional skills requirements for apprenticeships, with concerns that relaxing these standards could undermine efforts to improve literacy and numeracy among apprentices.
Additionally, recent debates suggest that current apprenticeship structures may not be doing enough to boost social mobility, with reforms potentially limiting opportunities for disadvantaged students.
Read more: FE Week
🧐 Reflection for STEM educators:
- Should functional skills requirements be relaxed for apprenticeships?
- How can STEM-related apprenticeships be made more accessible to a diverse range of students?
6. Digital Skills Gap – The Role of FE Colleges
📌 Source: FE Week
A new sponsored report highlights how further education (FE) colleges are playing a crucial role in addressing the UK’s digital skills gap. With industries increasingly reliant on technology, there is a push for FE colleges to expand digital training programs, including coding bootcamps and AI literacy courses.
However, funding shortages remain a significant challenge, limiting the number of students who can be enrolled in these courses.
Read more: FE Week
🧐 Reflection for STEM teachers:
- Should digital skills be integrated more deeply into the national curriculum?
- What role should schools play in bridging the digital divide before students reach FE colleges?
7. The Debate Over ‘Soft Skills’ in STEM Education
📌 Source: TES
A new opinion piece argues that the term ‘soft skills’ may be holding students back, particularly in STEM education. The article suggests that skills such as problem-solving, communication, and teamwork should be rebranded as ‘essential skills’ to emphasize their importance in the modern workforce.
The discussion raises interesting questions about how STEM subjects are taught and assessed, particularly in relation to interdisciplinary learning and real-world application.
Read more: TES
🧐 Reflection for educators:
- Should ‘soft skills’ be explicitly taught in STEM subjects?
- How can STEM teachers better integrate communication and teamwork skills into their lessons?
Final Thoughts & Call to Action
This week's education news paints a complex picture: while there are promising initiatives in STEM learning, issues such as gender gaps in maths, SEND provision failures, and teacher workload pressures continue to pose challenges.
As STEM educators, staying informed and engaging in these discussions is essential. How can we push for policies that genuinely benefit students while ensuring teaching remains a rewarding and effective profession?
Let’s keep the conversation going. What are your thoughts on these stories? How do they relate to your experiences in the classroom?
🔗 Stay informed: Click the links above to explore each story in more detail.
Note: This blog post is an AI curated summary of news articles from various sources. The aim is to provide educators with a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the education sector. All hyperlinks direct readers to the original news articles for further reading.