UK business cannot hope to tackle the ‘onslaught’ from
the Far East if more students cannot be persuaded to study science
and foreign languages, according to the CBI.
CBI analysis of government figures shows the number of 16 to
18-year-olds taking A-level physics more than halved (55%) between
1984 and 2004, while the take-up of chemistry declined by a third
(33%).
The number of 16 to 18-year-olds studying a language A-level
decreased by a fifth between 1999 and 2004, with German and French
down 34 and 30% respectively.
Last year, just 451 people in England and Wales took A-level
Russian, while 1,677 studied Chinese and 4,650 learned Spanish. The
CBI believes these languages will be key to business as
globalisation gathers pace.
Sir Digby Jones, CBI director-general, said the strength and
future success of the UK economy relied on the education system
producing students of a high calibre in disciplines such as science
and languages.
"Youngsters need to be equipped with the skills to make their
way in the competitive globalised economy of the 21st century and
business must have them if it is to meet the onslaught from
countries such as China and India,” he said.
“China alone produces almost 300,000 high-quality science and
engineering graduates each year.
“Without innovation and the ability to secure advantage, the UK
cannot hope to challenge these emerging markets as they invest huge
resources into producing top quality graduates," he added.