Dissecting the downward trend in maths, science and tech

An academic expert has flagged up a “disturbing fall” in the number of pupils ­pursuing Highers in Stem subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) in Scottish schools. Compared with 2019, figures for exams this year showed drops of 7.2 per cent in biology, 1.4 per cent in chemistry and 3.1 per cent in physics. There was also a 0.6 per cent downturn in maths.

“There has been a disturbing fall in the number of students taking key subjects at Higher,” said Lindsay Paterson, professor emeritus of education policy at Edinburgh University. He also highlighted a worrying trend in modern languages, with the number of young people in Scotland learning French and German having halved over the past decade.

Some social sciences and vocational subjects are

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