SUMMARY OF COUNCIL MEETING ON DECEMBER 4TH 2000
Purpose
The Council met on 4 December 2000 to:
- take stock of developments and progress concerning its report on Science Teachers of March 2000;
- provide further advice on the UK's present position regarding EU Research and Innovation and the 6th Framework Programme;
- put in hand arrangements for work by a new sub-group on Department's new Science and Innovation strategies; and to
- consider the on-going work of its other two existing sub-groups dealing with respectively the Quinquennial Review of the 6 grant funding Research Councils; and Science, Technology, the Arts and the Humanities.
Attendees
2. The meeting was chaired by the Minister for Science, Lord Sainsbury of Turville, supported by the new Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor David King.
The independent members present were:
Professor Sir. Alec Broers, Professor Kumar Bhattacharyya, Professor Julia Higgins, Sir. Paul Nurse, Ms Emma Rothschild, Professor Peter Schuddeboom, Sir Richard Sykes, Professor David VandeLinde and Mr. John Weston.
3. Dr. Miles Parker (International Directorate, OST) attended for the item on EU Research and Innovation.
4. Ms Imogen Wilde and Mr Richard Harrison of the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), Dame Bridget Ogilvie and Mr Justin Dillon ( School of Education, King's College, London) attended for the item on the CST 'Science Teachers' report.
Discussions and Outcomes
(i) CST 'Science Teachers' Report.
5. Members received a paper by DfEE which set out the present situation in relation to the various recommendations in this report and summarised the many positive developments which had occurred over the past 12 months. The paper also indicated the Department's initial thinking about undertaking an investigative study, as the report recommended, into the Council's ideas concerning "a centre of excellence for science teachers".
6. Members were particularly pleased to note the clear correlation between the report's basic principles and those underpinning work by DfEE in developing a new national strategy for teachers' continuous professional development (CPD) which was due to be published within the next couple of months. They also welcomed the new Key Stage 3 Initiative, the advent of the National College for School Leadership, the additional investment being made in the National Grid for Learning, the intention to hold a Science Year from September 2001 focussing on 10 to 19 year olds, and the emergence of Beacon Schools and Advanced Skills Teachers for develping and spreading good teaching practice.
7. Members further noted that the Science and Technology Committee of the House of Lords was about to start a short follow up inquiry of its own into this report. Professor Julia Higgins and her sub-group colleagues had been invited to provide evidence in the form of a written memorandum and at a meeting with the Committee on 16 January 2001 from 11am to 1pm.
8. In discussion, members emphasised the need for a much better match between actual demand and the supply of teaching, material, advice and other forms of support for science teachers; the critical importance of strong leadership at all levels in bringing about the necessary shift of culture and practice concerning their CPD; and existing widely held concerns about the burdens on the teachers, their recruitment and retention. The reasons why so many teachers left the profession shortly after their first induction year merited further investigation.
9. Because of changes in the Council's membership and in anticipation of the further investigative study into the Council's ideas, it was decided to re-establish the sub-group with Professor Higgins continuing as chair until completion of the S&T Committee's inquiry. The group would also comprise Dr Rob Margetts, Sir Paul Nurse, Professor David VandeLinde and Professor Peter Schuddeboom. DFEE and the OST would continue to work closely together and with the sub-group in taking this further investigative work forward during 2001.
Initial response by DfEE (Dec 2000) | CST Science Teachers Report | Work Summary
(ii) EU research and Innovation
10. The Council noted the outcome of the Lisbon Summit in March 2000 and the Commission's subsequent proposals for establishing a European Research Area (ERA). Following their discussions at the Council's meetings on 6 March 2000 and 5 June 2000, members welcomed the Prime Minister's stated aim to increase the impact of EU based research, and the Government's main priorities with regard to Framework Programme 6 (FP6), namely
- a greater focus on key areas;
- improved management;
- increased mobility funding; and
- better co-ordination with national programmes.
11. More particularly, members favoured FP6 being much more strategic than previous programmes. Amounting to some 5% of the total expenditure on R&D by member states, EU R&D funds should be concentrated on a few key areas where individual national programmes were not strong enough to compete globally.
12. Members also regarded the mobility of researchers as particularly important in relation to increasing and strengthening pan-ERA networks.
(iii) Science & Innovation Strategies
12. Following the Council's previous meeting on 25 September 2000 and after a further short discussion, members agreed to establish a sub-group under the chairmanship of Sir Richard Sykes, with Dr Rob Margetts, Dr Chris Evans, Mr John Weston and Professor Peter Schuddebomm.
13, The group was invited to fulfil a strategic auditing function to ensure that Departments' new strategies answer the key questions from the Council's originating (1999) report on S&T activity across Government, and to advise the interdepartmental Ministerial Science Group accordingly when it reviews these strategies in Spring 2001 (as scheduled in the Government's Implementation Plan in response to this CST report.)
Government's Implementation Plan (July 2000) | CST S&T Report | Work Summary
(iv) Quinquennial Review
14. The Council approved a letter, which had been prepared by Professor Julia Higgins and her sub-group colleagues in response to OST's consultative letter of 30 October 2000. In accordance with the principles of openness, it was agreed that this letter should be published on the Council's website as early as possible in the New Year.
OST consultative letter of 30/10/00 | CST initial response | Work Summary
(v) The Arts and Humanities in relation to Science and Technology.
15. The Council noted that the sub-group of members comprising Ms Emma Rothschild, Dr David Potter, Mr Javaid Aziz and Professor Vicki Bruce were aiming to provide a final report for members' consideration at the next meeting on 5 March 2001.
16. Since the Council's previous meeting on 25 September 2000, the sub group had sought further information and evidence in relation to the three themes they were pursuing: education, research, and communication from the DfEE and from a number of FCO posts in the principal OECD countries. Replies were now arriving and would be analysed shortly in the New Year.
CST Secretariat
December 2000
Last revised: September 2001
