This petition is now closed, as its deadline has passed.
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to reverse the demonstrable decline in school science examination standards that is destroying our competitiveness. More details
Submitted by Richard Pike of campaigns@rsc.org – Deadline to sign up by: 24 April 2009 – Signatures: 5,966
Petition update, 26 June 2009
You signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to "reverse the demonstrable decline in school science examination standards that is destroying our competitiveness."
The Prime Minister's Office has responded to that petition and you can view it here:
http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page19753
Prime Minister's Office
More details from petition creator
Science examination standards at UK schools have eroded so severely that the testing of problem-solving, critical thinking and the application of mathematics has almost disappeared.
Even bright students with enthusiastic teachers are being compelled to “learn to the test”, answering undemanding questions to satisfy the needs of league tables and national targets.
The RSC has powerful evidence of the decline in standards, adding to the revelation that students are able to receive a “good pass” with a mark of 20%.
This system is failing an entire generation which will be unequipped to address key issues facing society, whether as specialist scientists or members of a wider scientific community.
The record-breaking results in school examination passes are illusory, with these deficiencies having to be remedied at enormous expense by universities and employers.
This is compounded by key sections of the education community being in denial.
Unless addressed, we will see a continuing decline in our international competitiveness, reduced prosperity for ourselves, and limited career prospects for our children.
Urgent action is required before it is too late.
Current signatories
Because there are so many signatories, only the most recent 500 are shown on this page.
- Paul Yates
- Dr Gianpiero Calabrese, MRSC
- Dr Jenny Mortimer
- Suzanne Northwood MSc MChem AMRSC
- Sarah Louise Clarke
- Giles Brown
- Samantha Gardner
- Alison Eldridge
- charlene henderson
- Dr Bill Speed
- Sebastian Brix
- Jonathon Speed
- David Hall
- Sophie Harrington
- Ben Rogers
- John Altman
- Dr Martin Warnes
- Phil Jones
- Dr. Graham K Barlow CChem MRSC
- Dr Richard Harrington
- Allan Robert Gellett
- Professor Anthony Mallet
- Allen R Greenhalgh
- Dawn Atkinson
- Dr Martin Kellett
- Professor Ian Haines
- Bob Mudd
- Dr Kevin Hutchings
- alyson essex
- Gael Chouchelamane
- Christopher Newall DSc, CChem, FRSC
- Russel Spinks
- Richard Keirnan
- James Loder
- Robin McKenzie BSc
- Harriet Lindsay
- Alison Earnshaw (petitions.number10.gov.uk/their-rights)
- Benjamin Conway
- Stephen Price
- Dr James Titiloye CEng, MIChemE, MRSC
- Dr Elizabeth Lewis
- Karen Mitchell
- Colin Shanks
- Peter Gough
- Giles Thomas
- Katy Garbett
- Christopher aDilworth
- Dr Douglas Henderson Lester
- Cara Howie
- Gemma Rutterford
- Dr Alex Sinclair
- Jason Bennett BSc (Hons)
- Rory Freckleton
- Jon Bostom
- Dr Peter Large
- Antony Fussey
- Sandy Pierson
- Dr Adrian Shaw, MRSC,CChem
- Gillian Stein MRSC
- Liana Romaniuk
- Roger Spooner
- John R Wake
- Alexander O'Brien
- Dr David Turner MRSC
- David Buddle
- Sue Cooper
- Dr Ewart Shaw
- Simon weir
- Paul McQueen
- Jackie Morgan
- Christine Leach
- Jacob Tyler
- Dave Lowry
- Sarah Foot. RN. RM
- Dr Wayne Martindale
- Nigel Foot BDS., MSc., MRDRCS(Eng)
- Simon McVittie
- Robert Woodman BSc, MSc, CPhys
- Alistair Anderson
- Tomas Iwanowski
- Robert James MacGregor Ritchie
- Paul Woods
- Nicholas McCready
- Silvia Gonzalez Calera
- Sam Hopper
- Cheryl Johns
- Jubair Sammey Ahmed
- Michelle Murray
- lesley bird
- Keith Huxley
- Dr Alan Neuff
- Dr Susan Barlow CChem MRSC
- Bryan Earl
- Angharad Beurle-Williams
- Philip Yeomans
- David Jones
- nick worrall
- Natasha Leask AMRSC
- Paul Fennell
- Brett Done
- Sylvie Coune
- Lawrence Davies
- Professor Ian J McColm
- David Mclean
- Dr Dmitry Grinev
- Neil Malton
- Mark Richards BSc AMRSC
- Prof. Peter A Williams D.Sc
- Robyn Hampton
- Dr Stephen Catterall
- Diane Richardson
- Gavin Lazaro
- Matthew Presutti
- Imogen Savage
- Susie Metcalfe
- Mervyn Nash
- Erica Ford
- Ingrid Hooton
- alexander curzon
- David Francis
- Kenneth Hall
- Jason Edney
- Steven Winn
- David Lauder
- Chris Wright
- Mark Little
- Michael Ryan BA, FRSC, CChem, CSci, ACIEA
- Alan Maddocks
- Robert Forse
- John Rigg
- Camil Kocan
- Dr Joseph McGinnis
- Tracy Anderson
- Anne Wynn
- Leighton Hennah
- Stephen Murgan
- Dr Kevin Williams
- Tom Popperwell
- K Kamhawi
- Jay Fisher
- Rosie Payne
- Jozef Tkocz
- Stephen Sefton
- Alison Monk
- Dr. Xavier Fradera
- Deborah Coombs, BSc (Hons), GRSC
- John McTurk
- Charles Bond
- Dr Phil Collier, CBiol, FIBiol
- Adam McNaught
- Sarah Duffy
- Tin Nguyen
- Jonathan Dyson
- lesley nash
- Stephen Mulligan
- Dr Christine Lamont
- Michael Rice
- Rachel Stanley
- Laura Sarah Jayne Freeman
- Matthew Woodcock
- Jean Day
- Chris Roche
- Nigel Payne CChem MRSC
- ben whitmore
- Dr Claudia Blindauer, MRSC
- J Alexander
- Emily Maw
- Jo Herrick
- Briony Adams
- Lisa Brettle
- Michael Milner
- Dr Ian Williams
- Athina - Kate England
- George Haigh
- ashwin makan
- Myles Fullen
- T A Packer MSc CPhys FInstP
- Martin Dixon
- Jesse Webb
- David Campbell
- Dr Casper J. Breuker
- Charmon Westaway
- Stephen Campbell
- Adam Richard-Bollans
- Benjamin James Moore
- Stephen Potts
- Paul Beckett
- R Richmond
- David L. Andrews
- Dr Yimin Chao
- U. A. Jayasooriya
- Richard Gosling
- Andrew J Thomson
- Paul Wyman
- Alistair Gunn
- Mandy Bonnett MSc PGCE
- Peter Belton
- Jeffrey Tiler
- Dr. Andrew Mayes CChem MRSC
- Dr Jurian Hoogewerff
- Michael Horner
- Andrew J Young
- Omar Lakkis
- Andrew Cammidge
- Dr Julea Butt
- Philip Page
- Suzanne Aldous
- Anderw Brown
- Dr. Petra Ernst
- Thomas Lyons
- Rob Allen
- Ali Adham
- kevin waterton CSci, CChem, MRSC, MICorr
- Peter Bint
- J. Osborne
- Philip G Barker
- Luke McNeill
- Tom Lee
- James Nelms
- Peter Schofield, B>Sc., retired Head of Science
- Dr Peter S Dewar
- Dr Stewart Doughty
- Adam Miller
- Linda Smith
- Stephen Parry
- Ian Boulton
- Matthew Dixon
- Chiara Borrelli Paker
- Giles Cattermole
- Ann Cliff
- Dennis Collins PhD C Chem FRIC
- J Young
- Alex Brooks
- Mel Anderson
- Jan McKibbin
- Ian Richardson
- James F. D. Stott CChem MRSC
- O.Adnan Erunlu
- Dr Roy Lowry
- Elizabeth McCulloch
- John Outram
- David Twigg
- Mr Anthony Scrutton
- Maureen Lamb
- Robert Kissick
- stuart burchett
- Gary Spencer
- Stephen Osborn
- Dr Craig Wood MChem, MRSC
- Chris Carter
- Steve Simmons
- Anne Lambourn
- Anthony Yates
- Wendy Flemming
- S.VAITHIANTHAR
- Dr Ross Harrington
- John Fisher
- Matt Groves
- Richard Page
- David Moore
- Peter Sandilands
- Jessica Gwynne
- I Mackay
- Mr Nutley
- Kneale John Kimber
- Ruth Gregory
- Jason Archer
- Derek Copeland MSc.
- Pat Willson
- Michele Aitken BSc (Hons) PhD
- Rory Yeung
- Paul Davis
- Andrew Meadmore
- Indi Lotey
- Glen Hurst
- Nigel Spooner
- David Doran
- Paula Oakley
- Annabelle Poole
- Annabelle Grist
- Jason Foulkes
- Jonathan Carlaw
- the Rt. Hon. Ann Widdecombe MP
- Samuel Higgins
- Mike Baldock
- Piers Wilson
- Gemma Chapman
- Geoff Willetts
- Dr. Jesus Cirre
- Sally Jackson
- Adam Healy
- Dr Paul Spencer
- Clark Edward Barrett
- Laura Martin
- Dr Peter Laity
- Anselm Plummer
- Ian Alberts
- Stylianos Passaris
- Shirley Bloomfield
- Dr William George Allen
- Linda McAtominey
- Krys Kaczmarski
- Joseph Lovejoy
- nikki
- Nicholas Southon
- Julia Chiles
- Professor Robert Insall
- Elizabeth Chapman
- Gordon Bates
- Stephan Pfaffenzeller
- Peter Timmins
- Harry Longman
- Muriel Davies
- James D Ayrey
- Catherine Cooke
- Dr Deborah Kays MRSC
- Prof. Panos Soultanas
- Katharine Reid
- Prof. Richard Wheatley
- Victoria Ray
- Sam Allison
- Dr Steve Liddle MRSC
- Alexander Young
- Sean Boyd
- Chris Hammond
- Peter Nunn
- Joe Mc Nally
- David Salt
- Chris Ward
- Dr Colin Mill
- richard hutcheson
- Rachel Holdforth
- Stephanos
- Ann Sadler
- Michael Parsons
- David Graham
- Leanne Knox
- kathryn lazenby
- P. Malek, petitions.number10.gov.uk/OvertimePayment
- Iain MacDonald
- Ian Hodgson
- Andrew Clarke
- Bradley Jones
- Alexander Grigorash
- Edmund Eldergill
- Josie Evans
- Joe Nutt
- andrew blurton
- Andrew Steele
- Peter Burnett
- Maggie Towner
- Alison Booth
- K.Tromans
- Neil
- Pat Dimmock
- ian Stephenson
- Liam Franz
- Andy Gowen
- T V Jones
- stephanie clark
- safina Nazish Akhtar
- Jonathan Cooke
- Frances French
- Graeme Sneddon
- Alasdair Glen
- Allan Stilwell
- Elizabeth Outen
- Alan Davis
- Michael Tandy
- Nick Grayson
- Prof. Simon
- chris potter
- Kensy Joseph
- grej
- Christina Hodkinson
- Simon Bates
- Gary Dorken
- Chris Johnson
- Dr Andrew J Alexander
- John Loveday
- Benjamin Wynne
- ioan wigmore
- Daria Sokhan
- Tom Underwood
- Dr Rob Baxter
- Alasdair Thompson
- Andrew Gray
- Dr Ross Galloway
- Anthony Kennedy
- Ms Yana Berezovskaya, BSc MSc AMRSC
- Daniel Holmes
- Laurence Wilson
- Stuart Lynn
- Emma Rigby
- Trevor Back
- Gavin Merrifield
- Mairead Butler
- Stephan Eisenhardt
- Samantha Brogan
- Prof. Wilson Poon
- Richard Kenway
- Dr. Job Thijssen
- Linda Holmes
- Dr Sarah Masters
- Adrian Hill
- Lloyd Cross
- Robert Valentine
- Marina Sokhan
- Prof Michael Cates FRS
- Karl Murray
- Aurelien Viterisi
- Mr P Holmes
- Anna Kenway
- Joseph Rendle
- Charlotte Brady, MChem
- Dr Gavin J. Pringle
- David McNicol
- Dr Trent Galow
- j. abolina
- Dr Chamkaur Ghag
- Philip Byford
- José Figueroa-O'Farrill
- Professor Michael Singer
- Dr Mark Grant
- Julian Hall
- Michael Bridge
- Dean Wood
- Martyn Kerry
- Peter Klaver
- Emma Hayes
- Neil Murray
- Elizabeth Richardson
- Yasmin Bushby
- Paul Palmer
- Hugh Pumphrey
- Paul Sealey
- Ian Main
- Gabriele Hegerl
- Vlad Sokhan, PhD, MRSC, CChem
- Faye Gibbins
- J Rawbone
- Dr Richard Blythe
- Alastair Mailer
- Justin MacNeil
- Stuart Machin
- Prof John Hyde
- Paul Sims BSc PhD
- Robert David Bennett
- David Burrows
- Ian Daniel
- John Williams
- Andrew Alden
- Andrew Brampton
- Dr. John Proctor
- Wendy Mill
- Peter Charles
- Sandra Cully
- Liz Evans
- Philip Corp
- Prof. M. Kalaji
- Alex Hay
- Theroshene Naidoo
- Burnett Murray
- james hill
- Toby Bailey
- John Marsden
- Peter Iddon
- Martin Smith
- Alan J Anderson
- Ian Purcell
- Tony Gilbert
- Dr Johanna Avis
- Young Min Kim
- Daniel Pacey
- Chris Hall
- chris hamilton
- Dr. Nick Hulton
- Peter Nienow
- Gary Devey
- Sophie Stewart-Bloch
- Patience Cowie
- Kris Wragg
- Douglas Kirk
- Thorvaldur Thordarson
- Mark Penrice
- Michael Kowalski
- Brian Kiddle
- Hasan Husayn petitions.number10.gov.uk/BanLoudspeakers
- Edward Clarke
- J.J.Holt
- Alejandro Terlevich
- Richard Hadfield
- Steve Hallett
- Ian Parsonson
- Andrew Matthews
- Andrew Simmons
- John gardner
- John Sellers
- john harding
- paul crook
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