Exam Cash Prizes?

Posted by Simon Davies Apr 14, 2007

In a bizarre announcement this week, Richard Pike, the chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in the UK, has called for cash prizes of £500 ($993) to High School pupils who pass their chemistry exams.

This announcement demonstrates how desperate scientists on the UK are to encourage young people to study science in further education. Science is not seen as a glamorous subject in the UK and young people seem to be desperate to drop the subject as soon as possible.

I am just not convinced that this is the right way to go at this age. Dr. Pike mentions awards given to academic research staff and industry, but when you are awarding 16 and 18 year old young people it is very different. I would prefer to use the money for better funding for schools to make science more interesting and relevant to the youngsters. This really feels like clutching at straws when it is the teachers which need the support. I can’t see how giving the kids £500 is going to change their mind to study science when they have decided to study geography or theology at university.

Read the RSC article here.