The Society provides Government and other policy makers – including funders of biological education and research – with independent evidence-based opinion, representative of the widest range of bioscience disciplines.

We aim to influence science education policy at both the school and higher education levels through a combination of proactive and reactive activities. These include consultation responses, evidence gathering, position and policy statements, and face-to-face meetings.

These are key areas that the Royal Society of Biology believe should be focused on within education.

Teaching workforce

It is important to raise the professional status of teachers at all levels. All teachers must have or be working towards a teaching qualification, and be committed to engaging with professional development opportunities throughout their careers, including subject specific CPD to ensure subject knowledge is up to date.

Practical science

Practical work and the development of practical skills is highly valuable and must be an integral part of all biology taught in schools and colleges, and bioscience courses at universities, funds must be available to ensure all students are able to take part in investigative work.

Curriculum development

A period of stability is needed to allow teachers and students to adapt to the changes that have occurred across the curriculum during the reform, and evidence should be gathered on the impacts the reform has made.

Careers education

To ensure there is an appropriately qualified STEM workforce, there needs to be excellent and consistent careers provision from primary through to tertiary education including vocational and academic pathways.

Standards

Maintain high standards by having suitable accountability measures for schools colleges and universities to ensure best and innovative practice. Encouraging the continued accreditation of degrees to ensure high quality experiences for students.

Our detailed education priorities can be downloaded.