A West Midlands businessman has called on the HRH The Prince of Wales to support a growing national campaign to retain design and technology (D&T) as a compulsory part of the secondary school curriculum.
Martyn Hale, chairman of Bromsgrove-based HME Technology Ltd, has written to Prince Charles with a comprehensive presentation on why the UK needs to retain design and technology in schools.
He has also copied the accompanying letter and full presentation to the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon David Cameron MP, and to Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid.
Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, is due to make a decision in September and Mr Hale is concerned to ensure that he is aware of the depth of feeling in industry about the review of the place of D&T as a compulsory part of the secondary school curriculum.
He said: “If the next generation of James Dysons and other innovators and inventors is unable to study design and technology at school, how can we hope to retain Great Britain’s status as a leading country in this field.
“When the world wants cutting edge technology it comes to Britain. Witness all the Formala 1 teams based here,” he said.
He added that it was a letter from Adrian Newey OBE, chief technical officer of Red Bull Racing, that he received earlier this year that had inspired him to continue with the campaign and take it on to the national stage.
“Adrian and the Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner are adamant that if we do not support the next generation of young engineers and scientists we will lose our position on the front of the global scientific grid.”
Adrian Newey wrote: ““For most of us, if we stop and look around our homes and workplaces, it is obvious that technology defines much of who we are and what we do; from the clothes on our backs to the vehicles in which we travel; from the floor on which we walk to the equipment used to treat our ailments.
“All of these items need to be designed and manufactured. Without a profound understanding of the science and technology involved in producing and applying advanced machines and materials, none of this would be possible.
“It is easy to take for granted that we will automatically be surrounded by things that enable such ‘givens’ as instant global communications, high speed travel, efficient and durable clothing, and nutritional food.”
He pointed out that, like many other technology-driven organisations, Red Bull Racing relied on a steady stream of good young engineers and scientists.
He urged the Coalition Government: “Please don’t take these vital attributes for granted. Therefore, we urge you to retain the subject of Design & Technology on the secondary school curriculum.”
The campaign is being supported by leading figures both from academia and industry.
Professor Dame Julia King DBE FREng, Vice Chancellor of Aston University, wrote: “I am writing both as a Vice Chancellor and an engineer to strongly press for the retention of design and technlogy on the secondard school curriculum.
“As we look to develop an industrial strategy, rebalance the economy towards design and manufacturing, and replace the UK’s energy infrastructure (when the engineering industry is facing some 600,000 retirements over the next ten years), we urgently need to engage, inspire and motivate new generations of engineering talent.”
Her thoughts were echoed by industry figures including Bill Gibson, chairman of the Staffordshire-based Zytek Group of Companies which develped the KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) that has enabled overtaking to once more become a feature of Formula 1.
He wrote: “Surely the powers that be must realise the importance to this country of a workforce trained in science and technology?
“Throughout recent history this country has been at the forefront of the advancement of technology in everyday life.
“Technology is advancing every area at a great pace and we can only sustain our part in this pace with a steady flow of trained engineers and scientists coming through the pipeline, initially from secondary schools.
“At present our engineering prowess is held in high esteem throughout the world – we need to keep that hard earned honour.
“These skills in part make up for our deficiencies in size and lack of natural resources and must at all costs be increased, certainly not decreased.”
Further support has come from Andrew Churchill, managing director of JJ Churchill Ltd in Market Bosworth, Warwickshire, which works in the aerospace, defence, industrial and power generating markets.
He wrote: “During the Prime Minister’s and Business Minister’s visits to our stand at Farnborough Airshow this June, I emphasised the critical importance of having a high quality stream of students wishing to become apprentices for an exciting and rewarding career with us in precision engineering.
“Already 8% of our workforce is apprenticed and we see this investment in our future being as important as the purchase of another £1 million, next generation machining centre.
“However, without D&T being a cornerstone of our national curriculum, the step from pure Maths and English into advanced manufacturing is simply too great for the student to knowingly consider manufacturing and for the business to be able to make a reasonable assessment of aptitude.”
Martyn Hale wrote to Prince Charles: “HME Technology is a corporate member of the Design & Technology Association (DATA) and we became actively involved in their campaign to retain D&T on the curriculum back in April 2011 and during the remainder of that year involved local Members of Parliament to lobby the Education Department in favour of its retention.
“As well as HME having a vested interest in the subject, I was also aware of the consequences to the economy of the United Kingdom as a whole.
“My experience in employing suitable candidates to be part of our small family-owned manufacturing business relied on candidates having commonsense, a good basic education in reading, writing and arithmetic, together with having the dexterity and experience to use their hands.
“Given your lifetime’s commitment to children of all ages and disciplines and that this subject is not a political issue but one of great national importance, I consider that unless the nation uses all possible persuasive powers upon the Coalition Government we will lose our dominance in the design and manufacturing sectors.”
Mr Hale said: “We have already gained a partial success in that Nick Gibb, the Minister of State for Schools, has confirmed that D&T will remain a part of curriculum of PRIMARY schools, and we hope now that Ministers will see it makes absolutely no sense to drop the subject from secondary education as a compulsory curriculum item.
“We fervently hope that commonsense will prevail when the Government announces the result of its review this autumn.
“Every business across the country should be concerned about this proposal and to support the cause we would urge them to log on to www.believeindandt.org.uk
“They can register their support and locate their MP.”