Pupils need better guidance on jobs in contemporary science

The Society of Chemical Industry says young people should have better careers advice and more chance to see what goes on in contemporary industrial science.

The SCI says the UK's future economic strength will be weakened unless more pupils and students study sciences.

The warning comes as the Royal Society says the UK is neglecting scientific heroes like Sir Isaac Newton.

The SCI wants the government, industry and teachers to do more to attract pupils into science.

The rather sorry-looking bust of Isaac Newton in Leicester Square will become a symbol of the decaying British position in science Lord Martin Rees, Royal Society Lament for Newton's sorry figure

A survey completed by 450 members of the SCI found 86% felt the UK was training too few scientists.

The poll found 94% thought the UK's economic future was in danger unless the profile of chemistry and other science education was raised.

The poll also found that students were not well enough informed about career opportunities available to science graduates.

"It is essential that government, industry and academia work together to assure the future of science education in the UK," said SCI chief executive Andrew Ladds.

"The threat posed by inaction on these warnings will not be confined simply to chemistry but will touch almost all parts of our everyday life: food, healthcare, electronics, energy, transport and construction to name but a few."

Celebrity status?

In a speech to mark Science Week, Lord Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society, said the neglected sculpture of Newton was a potential symbol of Britain's future decline if science continued to be undervalued.

"If we don't inspire future generations to follow in the footsteps of the giants from our scientific past, Britain could quickly find itself overtaken by those countries that prize science more highly than us, and we would become an also-ran rather than a leader in world science," said Lord Rees.

Leading scientists would never be able to aspire to "the transient ultra-celebrity of soap stars and footballers", but they should have the sort of profile enjoyed by leading architects such as Lord Foster, he said.

His concerns were backed up by Professor Sir Edwin Southern from Oxford University, who won the Lasker Award for clinical medical research.

In an interview in the Oxford Today magazine, Professor Southern said: "My main concern is that schoolchildren are not seeing science as a place to go.

"One of the things that makes people choose a particular career is the chance of becoming a celebrity.

"It might help if we were to celebrate science more, but I have mixed feelings about that."