The government’s social mobility tsar has faced a backlash after claiming low uptake of physics among girls was because they dislike “hard maths”.
Katharine Birbalsingh told a Commons science and technology committee hearing about diversity in Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects that girls do not seem to “fancy” physics as much as other subjects.
The headteacher, often referred to as “Britain’s strictest”, said girls make up the majority of A-level students in chemistry, biology and maths at her school, Michaela Community School in Wembley, northwest London, but not in physics, where only 16 per cent study the subject.
She told MPs: “Physics isn’t something girls tend to fancy – they don’t want to do it, they don’t like it.
“It wouldn’t be something here that they don’t choose because they feel it’s not for them, that would certainly not be the case, and it wouldn’t be the case here that they wouldn’t choose it because they didn’t have a good physics teacher.
“I just think they don’t like it. There’s a lot of hard maths in there that I think that they would rather not do, and that’s not to say that there isn’t hard stuff to do in biology and chemistry.”
Asked about why girls specifically would not want to do physics, she said: “In research generally people say that’s just a natural thing – I mean I don’t know, I’m not an expert in that sort of thing, but that’s what they say.
“I don’t think there’s anything external - when it comes to our kids... they’re being taught very well, they are doing well at GCSE and they choose the subjects that they want to do.
“We’re certainly not out there campaigning for more girls to do physics; we wouldn’t do that and I wouldn’t want to do that because I don’t mind that there’s only 16 per cent of them taking [it], I want them to do what they want to do.”
The school leader hit back at criticism to her comments on Twitter, saying: “Once again press takes one quote of mine out of context and everyone goes mad.
“I am not going to force our girls to do A level physics if they don’t want to do to it.
“It is OK if we don’t have an exact gender balance in all subjects.”
However Dr Jess Wade, a physicist at Imperial College, said: “Literally no one took what you said out of context.
“When you were challenged on your outdated opinions you doubled down on the stereotypes and said you didn’t care.
“And, btw, 16 per cent of your A-Level physics cohort being women is a *long* way off ‘exact gender balance’.”
Catherine Heymans, a professor of astrophysics at Edinburgh University who became the first woman to be appointed Astronomer Royal for Scotland, tweeted: “Why is the UK gov Chair of Social Mobility briefing MPs that girls don’t take physics because they don’t like ‘hard maths’, and ‘that’s a natural thing’?
“No! Girls are put off because from birth our culture tells them physics isn’t for you.”
While Christina Pagel, professor of operational research at University College London, wrote: “Maths and physics are beautiful subjects.
“The barriers to entry are NOT difficulty, but attitudes like this and what is still a massively male dominated field and all the challenges that come from that when girls and women consider their careers.”
Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson called on Ms Birbalsingh to apologise for her comments.
The MP said: “Sadly, stories like this are all too common nowadays. The Conservatives have been dragging their feet and failed to challenge the culture of misogyny and unconscious biases in our education system for years.
“Every child deserves the chance to thrive and follow their passions during their time at school. However, without a dramatic culture shift, so many young women will be continually undervalued and demotivated.
“The government must finally step up to the plate and act. We need new measures to challenge these biases, backed up by legislation, and Katharine Birbalsingh should apologise for her remarks.”
