Science rated ‘top of the class’

L'Oréal Young Scientist Centre at the Royal Institution

But children want more opportunities to do practical experiments and discover the science behind everyday life according to L’Oréal Young Scientist Centre poll

After years of being seen as one of the less popular subjects, science is enjoying a revival in schools. In a new poll of children’s favourite subjects released today by L’Oréal and the Royal Institution of Great Britain, science took the number one spot ahead of Physical Education/Games, English and Art. Far from being considered geeky, two thirds (60%) of children say they actively like science.

Kids’ top 10 favourite school subjects

1.       Science (15%)

2.       PE/Games (14%)

3.       English (13%)

4.       Maths (12%)

5.       Art (10%)

6.       Drama (7%)

7.       ICT (5%)

8.       History (5%)

9.       Music (4%)

10.   Geography (3%)

‘Interesting’ (32%) and ‘exciting’ (10%) were the words children most commonly used to describe the subject. Only 2.5% said it was ‘for geeks’ or ‘uncool’.

However, there’s still more to be done; when asked what would make them more interested in science, children said they wanted lessons to be more relevant to real life (32%) and to get the chance to do more of the experiments themselves (31%). Nine out of ten children (87%) said doing experiments to learn about the science behind everyday items like shampoo and mobile phones would really inspire their interest in the subject.

This is the ethos behind the new L’Oréal Young Scientist Centre, launched today at the Royal Institution in London. The Centre will enable pupils to explore and learn about science, unconstrained by the normal restrictions of a school laboratory and timetable. Children attending the Centre will participate in experiments which relate to their daily experiences such as making shampoo and refining sugar.

Grita Loebsack, Managing Director, L'Oréal UK and Ireland, said, 

“Science is at the heart of our business, the DNA of what we do. L’Oréal was founded over a century ago by a chemist and today we remain the leading researcher in the cosmetics industry. Investing in the next generation of scientists is not only vital for our company’s future, but for all our futures.

“We rely on science for everything from our morning shower, to our transport to work and communicating with friends and family. By making science relevant to everyday life, we hope the L’Oréal Young Scientist Centre will inspire even more young people about the subject and hopefully encourage them to consider careers in science.” 

The CBI estimates that there will be more than two million extra jobs requiring people to have STEM skills by 2014[i]. L’Oréal’s survey suggests things are moving in the right direction to meet this. More than half of children (56%) said they plan to study science to A-level or beyond and one in four of those said they plan to work in science. The survey also suggests a shift away from the ‘cool’ careers of a few years ago. More children now want to become scientists than those who dream of being models, celebrities and racing drivers. 

Minister for Science and Innovation Lord Drayson said:

"We've seen recent increases in young people taking science subjects thanks to our investment in science education. This poll demonstrates that science is top in the classroom. Initiatives like L'Oréal's Young Scientist Centre will inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers to tackle the major challenges ahead."

David Porter, a former head of Science with over 15 years experience in teaching, is the manager of the L’Oréal Young Scientist Centre. David will work with Royal Institution scientists to design bespoke programmes to promote curiosity and investigation-led learning as well as offering access to advanced technology and experiments outside of the normal school remit.

Baroness Susan Greenfield, director of the Royal Institution, explained,  

“We want students who engage with the L’Oréal Young Scientist Centre to enjoy a different approach compared to their experiences in schools, where inevitably the timetable and resources pose constraints.  Our half and full day sessions will encourage students to explore science using real experiments, team discussions and interaction with practising research scientists and engineers.  We hope that they will leave with a broader view of science, its potential and how they can engage with it.”

The survey of 2,000 children aged between 5 and 18 was conducted by online market research site www.OnePoll.com between the 3rd and 11th September 2009, with the demographic breakdowns being representative of the UK population.

[1] Estimate based on Skills for Business’s report Working Futures 2004-2014